With the first batch of smart ID cards set for release on 18 July, on Mandela Day, The Department of Home Affairs is still undecided on how much it will cost South Africans.<\/p>\n
On Thursday (4 July), Home Affairs Minister Naledi Pandor\u00a0announced that the smart cards would be issued to individuals including President Jacob Zuma, Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu, and former president Thabo Mbeki.<\/p>\n
The new ID card would replace the current green book, and include fingerprint biometrics and biographic data security features, embedded on the 80 kilobytes card chip.<\/p>\n
\u201cPersonalisation with laser engraving of demographic details and photographs makes the new card extremely difficult to forge or tamper with,\u201d Pandor said.<\/p>\n
When BusinessTech contacted the Department of Home Affairs, a spokesperson said it was undecided how much the card will cost.<\/p>\n
Pandor said in May that the new ID card would cost the same amount as the green bar-coded ID, at R140. IDs are free for first time applicants.<\/p>\n
However, Pandor said on Thursday that the department was undecided on the charge amount.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are in the process of discussing how much it will cost,\u201d a spokesperson for the group said. \u201cWhen we have concluded these discussions, we will make a further announcement.\u201d<\/p>\n
The spokesperson said that, from August, there would be three offices, one in Cape Town and two in Guateng, from which the cards will initially be made available. By the end of August, it would be introduced at 27 Home Affairs offices across the country, in three offices in each province.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn terms of delivery to the broader public, we will\u00a0announce\u00a0our\u00a0plans\u00a0soon. We will start with\u00a0young South Africans as first-time applicants for identity documents, as well as senior citizens. In order to avoid a rush, applicants will be invited to our offices\u00a0in stages, according to their dates of birth,\u201d Pandor said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u00a0must\u00a0stress\u00a0that it will take between six and eight\u00a0years before all South Africans have Smart ID Cards. We appeal to everyone to be patient and to allow us to\u00a0phase in this change efficiently. We will work hard to expand the number of offices able to process applications for the Smart ID Card.”<\/p>\n
Pandor said applicants would be invited to home affairs offices in stages, according to their age so as to avoid a rush.<\/p>\n
Zuma, Mbeki and Tutu to get smart ID cards<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n New SA ID cards go high-tech<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n Smart ID cards in 2013: Home Affairs<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n Govt appoints new minister of science and technology<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n