The Department of Home Affairs (DOH) regional office in Ermelo has seen an influx of people these past weeks.
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One Ms Esther Nkosi, from Dundonald in Mayflower, arrived at the offices at 6am and was still a long way off from being helped at 11am when the Highvelder visited the offices.
“I woke up early to come here, hoping I will be at the starting line,” Ms Nkosi said.
Ms Nkosi found a long queue waiting for her in the early hours of the morning.
The Ermelo office is a regional office and caters to residents of Ermelo as well as people from all the small towns in the Msukaligwa Municipality.
Ms Nkosi is one of many who came all the way from her town to have her Identity Document (ID) processed.
When the Highvelder queried the DOH officials, one official said the influx is because of panic after a fake social media message did the rounds early in the year.
He was alluding to a social media message saying the green barcoded book was being phased out in 2018.
The social message said in part: “Kindly note the lifespan of a green barcoded ID comes to an end on 31/03/2018.”
The DOH poured cold water on the claims, dismissing the message as a hoax.
At the time DOH spokesman, Mr David Hlabane, said the announcement was not made by the department.
“We wish to make it clear that the green barcoded ID book remains a legal form of identification and will continue to be such until such time the live capture system is introduced to all home affairs offices.”
According to him, South Africans can then apply for smart ID cards at their nearest offices.
Mr Hlabane also said the department had developed a plan to systematically phase out the green ID book and encouraged the community to change their IDs to the smart card to eliminate fraud such as identity theft.
The DOH reassured the public that the green book will still be valid and used after March.
