As part of laying the foundation for the National Development Plan, NDP, the Department of Home Affairs has issued over one million smart ID cards to South Africans in less than a year.
This is one more example of the ANC-led government's commitment to changing our citizen's lives for the better and continuing to deliver to improve the quality of life particularly for the poor and marginalised.
It is because of this turn-around strategy that the ANC remains convinced that the department's commitment to reach the target of 1,6 million smart cards by the end of the 2014-15 financial year is achievable and remains on track.
The department is really making good progress with replacing its outdated systems with new and secure technologies. Of the 403 Home Affairs offices, 110 are equipped with the necessary system for processing smart ID cards and new passports. The department plans to increase this to 140 offices by March 2015.
The new ID card and passport have strong security features, which significantly reduce the chances of fraud. The new system has also improved the delivery time for issuing IDs. Prior to this, it used to take 54 days for an applicant to get an ID book, now it takes less than 10 days.
The ANC supports the department's commitment to ensuring that over 38 million citizens with green ID books convert to the smart ID cards by the time this process concludes. Thank you.
