Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber announced that South Africans will receive updated smart identity documents and passports, incorporating new security features.
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This initiative aims to enhance the authenticity of these documents and build trust with other countries and organisations.
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During his budget vote speech earlier this week, Schreiber stated, ‘Both the passport and smart ID card will be refreshed and updated to improve security, making it more difficult for fraudulent documents to pass as genuine.’
While specific details about the new security features and the timeline for the introduction of these documents were not provided, the smart ID cards were first launched in South Africa in 2013, replacing the traditional green ID books. The smaller cards were designed to combat forgery.
Although the green ID books were expected to be phased out gradually, they are still in circulation and accepted.
Former Home Affairs Minister Aaron Motsoaledi previously indicated that the green ID books would be discontinued ‘very soon,’ but this was later clarified by Thulani Mavuso, deputy director general at Home Affairs.
Mavuso stated in a recent interview that no definitive timeline has been established for eliminating the dual system, but the plan is to phase out the remaining green ID books and replace them with smart IDs in approximately two years.
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