Latest news with #SmartID
The Citizen
24-05-2025
- Business
- The Citizen
Home Affairs extends weekend hours for Smart ID applications by naturalised citizens
Home Affairs offices have extended their operating hours until the end of May due to the uptake of Smart ID cards by naturalised citizens and permanent residents from visa-exempt countries. The extension, which came into effect on May 17, sees Home Affairs' offices open from 08:00 to 13:00 on Saturdays, until May 31. 'Extended hours over the specified weekends will allow for processing of Smart ID card applications from naturalised citizens and permanent residents from listed countries, in possession of green barcoded ID books,' the department said in a statement. Home Affairs encouraged naturalised citizens and permanent residents from listed countries to make use of this opportunity. 'This will take us closer to fully adopting the more secure Smart ID card and doing away with the green, bar-coded ID book. – Breaking news at your fingertips… Follow Caxton Network News on Facebook and join our WhatsApp channel. Nuus wat saakmaak. Volg Caxton Netwerk-nuus op Facebook en sluit aan by ons WhatsApp-kanaal. At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
The Citizen
15-05-2025
- Business
- The Citizen
Smart IDs are available for SA residents
Smart IDs are available for SA residents – Home Affairs The Department of Home Affairs has officially launched the roll-out of Smart ID cards for naturalised citizens and permanent residents from visa-exempt countries, effective May 12. In a statement, the department confirmed the system is operating smoothly and expressed satisfaction with the strong uptake by eligible applicants. 'For the first time, South African citizens and lawful permanent residents across the country can now apply for the more secure Smart ID card,' the department noted. ALSO READ: Home Affairs gives six simple steps on applying for ID However, because of the high volume of applications currently being received, the department emphasised it had limited this initial roll-out phase to those who hold a green bar-coded ID and are from visa-exempt countries. 'Once application volumes have stabilised, we will begin assisting applicants from non-exempt countries,' the statement added. The department will announce the start of this next phase in due course. To assist applicants, a list of visa-exempt countries is available at visa-exempt countries. At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
IOL News
12-05-2025
- Politics
- IOL News
Naturalised citizens and permanent residents in South Africa can now apply for Smart ID cards
Naturalised citizens and lawful permanent residents will be able to apply for Smart ID cards for the first time in person at Home Affairs offices or via the eHomeAffairs online platform. Image: Ayanda Ndamane Independent Newspapers In a landmark move hailed as a breakthrough for equality and national security, Minister of Home Affairs Dr Leon Schreiber has announced that, for the first time in South Africa's history, naturalised citizens and lawful permanent residents will be able to apply for Smart ID cards. The applications can be made in person and through the eHomeAffairs online platform. The Home Affairs department said the change is a result of months of information technology reforms and is expected to benefit over 1.4 million people. Naturalised citizens are individuals who were not born in South Africa but have legally acquired citizenship after meeting residency and other legal requirements. They are distinct from citizens by birth, and until now, they faced administrative barriers that limited their access to certain official services, including the ability to apply for a Smart ID. 'For years, these South Africans were treated as second-class citizens by being excluded from access to the Smart ID and from eHomeAffairs, which effectively forced them to use only the green bar-coded ID book despite the government's stated intent to eliminate this document due to fraud concerns,' said Schreiber. Until now, those who became South African citizens by naturalisation, as well as permanent residents, could only obtain the outdated green bar-coded ID book and were locked out of the more secure Smart ID Card system. In rare cases, a Smart ID could be issued, but only through a slow manual process with direct ministerial approval. The Department's recent digital transformation initiative has now removed these barriers. 'This breakthrough for our digital transformation reforms directly delivers dignity to over 1.4 million people including hundreds of thousands of South African citizens, who had their dignity infringed for years by being treated unequally,' Schreiber said. He added that the reform also strengthens national security. 'Naturalised citizens and permanent residents were the last remaining groups of people eligible for South African ID documents, who were excluded from obtaining Smart IDs. Thanks to our redress of this long-standing injustice, every eligible person in South Africa is now able to obtain a Smart ID for the first time,' said Schreiber. To accommodate the anticipated influx of applications, Home Affairs offices will operate extended hours on select Saturdays: 17 May, 24 May, and 31 May from 08:00 to 13:00. Schreiber concluded: 'Now that all citizens and lawful permanent residents are eligible for the Smart ID, what remains is to geographically expand access to all… It is clear that we are making ever more rapid progress in using digital transformation to deliver Home Affairs @ home.' THE MERCURY
IOL News
12-05-2025
- Politics
- IOL News
Naturalised citizens and permanent residents can now access Smart ID cards for the first time
Home Affairs Minister Schreiber says naturalised citizens and permanent residents in South Africa can now apply for Smart ID cards through eHomeAffairs, correcting years of exclusion and improving national security and digital access. Image: Armand Hough Independent Newspapers The Department of Home Affairs has announced that for the first time in South African history, naturalised citizens and lawful permanent residents will now be able to apply for Smart ID cards, including through the eHomeAffairs platform. This major development will take effect from Monday and is the result of months of targeted Information Technology reforms. For years, these groups were excluded from accessing Smart IDs and were limited to the older, less secure green bar-coded ID book. This not only affected their ability to use eHomeAffairs but also raised security concerns linked to outdated documentation. The new digital transformation measures introduced by Home Affairs have corrected this disparity, providing full Smart ID access to over 1.4 million people. Minister of Home Affairs Dr Leon Schreiber hailed the move as a historic milestone, saying: 'This breakthrough for our digital transformation reforms directly delivers dignity to over 1.4 million people, including hundreds of thousands of South African citizens, who had their dignity infringed for years by being treated unequally. ''For years, these South Africans were treated as second-class citizens by being excluded from access to the Smart ID and from eHomeAffairs, which effectively forced them to use only the green bar-coded ID despite the government's stated intent to do away with this document over fraud concerns.' Schreiber added: 'But the benefits of rectifying this inequality extend beyond these 1.4 million direct beneficiaries. This is also a victory for improved national security. Naturalised citizens and permanent residents were the last remaining groups of people eligible for South African ID documents, who were excluded from obtaining Smart IDs. ''Thanks to our redress of this long-standing injustice, every eligible person in South Africa is now able to obtain a Smart ID for the first time. This takes us much closer to fully adopting the Smart ID and doing away with the green bar-coded ID book, thereby eliminating the fraud linked to this document.' As part of the roll-out, Home Affairs offices will also operate extended hours on the Saturdays of May 17, 24 and 31, 2025 for 08:00am to 13:00pm to manage increased application volumes. The Department is also working to expand access through more participating bank branches, ensuring broader reach across the country. 'Now that all citizens and lawful permanent residents are eligible for the Smart ID, what remains is to geographically expand access to all. ''The Department is already hard at work to also deliver on this objective, by dramatically increasing the number of bank branches that take applications for Smart IDs and passports. It is clear that we are making ever more rapid progress in using digital transformation to deliver Home Affairs @ home,' said Schreiber. Get your news on the go, click here to join the IOL News WhatsApp channel. IOL Politics
The Citizen
11-05-2025
- Health
- The Citizen
Top 10 stories of the day: Hospitals at risk
Here's your daily news update: An easy-to-read selection of our top stories. In the news today, service delivery failures have left some of Gauteng's most vulnerable at risk, with Carletonville Hospital having to shut down its theatre and maternity ward. It looks to be a bad start to the week for residents in Joburg and Pretoria too, as throttling and maintenance slow water supply. Orlando Pirates are still dealing with a Nedbank Cup loss to Kaizer Chiefs, which coach Jose Riveiro called 'ugly,' with 'not much football from both sides'. While off the pitch, five people were arrested at the match for various offences. Good news if you are a naturalised South Africans or permanent resident, as you can now apply for a smart ID from Monday. And we take a look at Isuzu's equivalent of a brother in prison, whom you love but do not speak about. Stay up to date with The Citizen – More News, Your Way. Municipal water disruption affects services at Carletonville Hospital Carletonville Hospital in the West Rand is suffering from severe water disruptions, which have made the hospital's theatre and maternity ward non-functional, the DA in Gauteng says. The party's spokesperson on health and wellness, Madeleine Hicklin, said the hospital has been receiving low water supply because of Merafong local municipality's R1.6 billion debt to Rand Water. The DA is concerned the situation is affecting the health of patients and staff. Picture: iStock 'Theatre and maternity units at Carletonville Hospital are non-operational due to the water crisis putting patients' lives in danger. 'This crisis stems from Merafong local municipality's water supply having been throttled by 20% over non-payment of a R1.6 billion bill to Rand Water,' she said. CONTINUE READING: Municipal water disruption affects services at Carletonville Hospital Bad start to the week: These areas in Joburg and Pretoria will be without water on Monday Johannesburg Water has implemented strict water throttling measures across parts of the city in response to surging consumption levels and to safeguard the stability of its reservoirs. The entity said the measures are meant to 'regulate demand and protect reservoir capacities,' while ensuring continuous water availability for all residents. Image used for illustration. Picture: iStock 'This strategy aims to regulate demand and protect reservoir capacities, thereby stabilising the supply and ensuring a consistent water supply for all residents.' CONTINUE READING: These areas in Joburg and Tshwane may be without water on Monday Naturalised South Africans can now apply for Smart IDs – Schreibe Naturalised South Africans and permanent residents can now obtain Smart ID cards from this week, Minister of Home Affairs Leon Schreiber says. For years, IT failures forced South Africans born abroad and permanent residents to continue using only the insecure green bar-coded ID book. A South African ID book and driver's licence. Picture: Gallo Images/Nicolene Olckers Schreiber said these individuals were excluded from obtaining the more secure Smart ID. It also prevented them from using the eHomeAffairs platform to make bookings. CONTINUE READING: Naturalised South Africans can now apply for Smart IDs – Schreiber Dodgy ticket sales and pitch invaders: 5 arrested at Pirates and Chiefs cup final While Kaizer Chiefs fans are still celebrating their first trophy in 10 years, it was a bad night for five people arrested at the match on Saturday. Chiefs beat their Soweto rival Orlando Pirates in the Nedbank Cup final at the Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal. Members of the South African Police Service (Saps) at the Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban on 28 October 2022. Picture: Gallo Images/Darren Stewart The build-up to the match had been clouded with security concerns, as fans raced to snap up limited tickets. Others claimed to be heading to Durban and 'make a plan' when they got there. Police and security came out in full force, making sure none of the feared chaos materialised. CONTINUE READING: Dodgy ticket sales and pitch invaders: 5 arrested at Pirates and Chiefs cup final Revealed: What was found in Kagiso Rabada's drugs test Proteas fast bowler Kagiso Rabada served a one-month suspension for recreational drug use after traces of benzoylecgonine (BZE), a metabolite of cocaine, were reportedly found in his urine sample, according to Sunday publication Rapport. Rabada, who has already served the suspension after returning to South Africa from India in early April, is back with his Indian Premier League team Gujarat Titans. Kagiso Rabada in action for the Gujarat Titans in the IPL. Picture:Rabada was one of 16 cricketers tested during the SA20 in January. He provided a sample to the SA Institute for Drug-Free Sport (Saids) after the match between his team, MI Cape Town, and Durban's Super Giants in Durban, according to Khalid Galant, the CEO of Saids. CONTINUE READING: Revealed: What was found in Kagiso Rabada's drugs test, according to report Here are five more stories of the day: Yesterday's News recap READ HERE: Top 10 stories of the day: Omotoso to be deported | Fake Hawks Head makes R100k | Hilux rival?
