By:Prudence Nhavingo
The green ID book was introduced in South Africa in 1994 when the new democracy sought to restore dignity for black citizens. However, its era is coming to an end, as the Department of Home Affairs will now only issue smart ID cards.
The Department of Home Affairs had planned to phase out the green ID books between 2018 and 2022. So far, the department has issued nearly 26 million smart ID cards and aims to retire the green ID book once they reach 38 million smart card IDs issued. The switch to smart IDs was driven by the fraud associated with the green ID books.
“It had always been the plan to discontinue the ID book once the DHA reached 38 million smart cards,” said Mr. Mavuso, the DHA’s deputy director.
As a result, the Department of Home Affairs encourages green ID book holders to switch to smart ID cards to avoid becoming victims of crime or fraud and to ensure they are not left behind when the green book’s expiration date arrives.
The fraudulent activities linked to green ID books have also led to the Department of Home Affairs blocking some of these documents. The department urges those whose ID books have been wrongfully blocked to provide written reasons within 30 days explaining why their ID should not be canceled or to approach the department for verification and unblocking of their ID.
The Department of Home Affairs has taken numerous steps to facilitate the transition to smart ID cards, including expanding services to more branches, collaborating with banks, deploying mobile service units in communities, and opening satellite offices in high-traffic areas such as major shopping malls. Many people have used the bank branch system to obtain their smart ID cards.
“The time has come for South Africans to drop one of the two forms of ID,” said Aaron Motsoaledi.
