Latest news with #SmartIDs
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 This not only affected their ability to use eHomeAffairs but also raised security concerns linked to outdated documentation.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
- Politics
- The Citizen
Naturalised South Africans can now apply for Smart IDs
For three weekends this month home affairs will extend operations to accommodate the expected large group of people applying for Smart IDs. 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. 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. Dignity for over 1.4 million people 'This breakthrough in 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,' he said. ALSO READ: Phil Craig's Citizenship Controversy Explained | The Citizen High volumes of applications expected He said in rare cases a small number of naturalised citizens were able to obtain Smart IDs only after being granted permission by the minister and following a tedious manual process. 'The department's digital transformation drive has now changed all of this and has delivered change for over 1.4 million eligible South Africans and lawful permanent residents. 'For the first time ever, they will now be able to use eHomeAffairs and obtain Smart IDs like all other eligible persons,' he said. Schreiber said the department of home affairs would extend its working hours on weekend in anticipation of large volumes of people who are expected to apply for their Smart IDs. NOW READ: ConCourt strikes down Citizenship Act clause, restores citizenship for affected South Africans
The South African
11-05-2025
- Politics
- The South African
BIG news: SA naturalised citizens to FINALLY get smart ID
Minister of Home Affairs Leon Schreiber has announced the 'big news' that South African naturalised citizens will finally be able to apply for their smart ID cards. Previously, those who called SA their second home were required to use the green barcoded ID, casually known as the 'green mamba.' In an X post, Minister of Home Affairs Leon Schreiber posted: 'For the first time ever, over 1.4 million naturalised citizens and lawful permanent residents are now eligible to obtain Smart IDs and use eHomeAffairs! We're starting with applicants from visa-exempt countries and then expanding to all others. Schreiber added that the development was a 'major milestone on the digital transformation.' He continued: ' It is a victory for social inclusion. As these citizens and lawful residents were previously excluded from the Smart ID and restricted to the vulnerable green ID book. And it is a victory for national security. As it makes our country less reliant on the insecure green ID book'. While naturalised citizens will be enjoying the benefits of smart ID cards – particularly enhanced safety – many South Africans expressed their concerns. @Nelisiwe94: 'So many people being naturalised? I wonder what process they followed to qualify. I hope we are not giving citizenship to undeserving people who are coming to SA with ulterior motives'. @AwaitedOne1: 'It's an invasion, a hostile takeover. Are they going to get voting rights as well?' @LimpopoLadyy: 'That's a whole lot of foreigners . If we add the wives/husbands, children, and other relatives they brought, that's over 15 million foreigners' Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1 . Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp , Facebook , X, and Bluesky for the latest news.
