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ID book rumours quashed.
A hoax has been doing the rounds on social media platforms about how the Green ID Book will be discontinued. The Department of Home Affairs has revealed in a press statement that this was not true and distanced themselves from the rumours.
Home Affairs has taken note of a message purported to be from the department announcing that the lifespan of the green bar-coded ID book comes to an end on 31 March 2018.
According to the department, no such announcement has been made by and it wished to make it clear that the green bar-coded ID book remains a legal form of identification and will continue to be until such time that the Live Capture System is rolled out to all Home Affairs offices to enable South Africans to apply for Smart ID cards at their nearest offices.
The green ID book has been around for a very long time but its lifespan is at its peak as the department is looking to eventually phase it out.
According to the department, they have developed a plan to systematically phase out the green ID book and ultimately consolidate the restoration, common citizenship, identity and dignity to South Africans.
To this end, the Department of Home Affairs would like to call on South Africans to apply for Smart ID cards at any of the 180 offices that are equipped with the Live Capture System.
In addition, the Department has established a partnership with FNB, Standard Bank, Nedbank and ABSA to create an online portal where clients can lodge their application without visiting a Home Affairs office.
