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THE FUTURE: Minister of Home Affairs Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma recently introduced the new ID cards soon to replace the current green bar-coded ID books. Photo: Brendan Croft

The more sophisticated the machines needed, the more money business would spend, Home Affairs Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma said in Pretoria yesterday.

These card-scanning mobile devises range from R30 to over R100.

The mobile devise would assist businesses or banks in authenticating information or verifying whether someone is the rightful owner of the card. This would ultimately slam the door on identity theft and fraud, said Dlamini-Zuma.

The department spent R5-million for the pilot phase. Dlamini-Zuma said this would ensure that the card goes through a "seamless process" of checks before the official recall of the old ID books in the next six months.

She said the launch of the smart card meant no paperwork, no mistakes and no more waiting. "We will try to be as accurate as possible because no one will be filling in a form."

New applicants would get their smart cards for free, while those who lose them would pay R140, as is currently the case with the green bar-coded ID book.

Work was also under way to ensure that officials are trained in preparation for the transition.

"No one will lose their job. We will train people [and] re-skill them to do other jobs and ensure that they have more sophisticated skills to look after the machines," said Dlamini-Zuma.

She was confident that the security features on the card would make it hard for anyone, even rogue officials, to jeopardise the process.

While the card would have a photo, name of the owner, date of birth etc, it also contains some safety features like a micro chip that can store information which can be used by law enforcement authorities, including invincible fingerprints of the owner which can only be seen by making use of a specialised devise. - nhlabathih@sowetan.co.za

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Wed Jun 19 11:25:49 SAST 2013 ::

May 18, 2012

Mwelase

@Mrs Minister, are those smart cards going to be issued with pouches, to prevent physical scraches on that photo?
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May 18, 2012

Shredder

"The mobile devise would assist businesses or banks in authenticating information or verifying whether someone is the rightful owner of the card. This would ultimately slam the door on identity theft and fraud,"
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It's not true. All systems can be circumvented. The next thing you are going to say the same thing when you want to implant those chips in our bodies.

This thing of 666, "the anti-Christ" in Revelation is nearing so fast. Scary thought!!
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May 18, 2012

Vhamsanda

Good news : South Africa has a high tech ID. Bad news: Nigerians already have it.
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May 18, 2012

Indoda

Not forgetting to renew it after 5 years and the costs is yet to be revealed
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May 19, 2012

ElaineBing

"Invincible" fingerprints. Oops. The dangers of using a spell check without checking it?
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May 19, 2012

2mas

I once had to write the word "corrections" 200 times for spelling it wrong. I'll damnwell never spell it wrong again :-P

They should do the same with journalists :-D

I'm pretty sure that, in this article, they meant to write "device" and "devices" instead of "devise" and "devises".
The same goes for "invisible" instead of "invincible".
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May 20, 2012

Skomoro99

So the cards wil expire in 5 years time n we have 2 renew them again?gud money making skeem again from the government
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May 21, 2012

Ann

@Mvelase,lollllll
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May 21, 2012

Tabza325is

"it also contains some safety features like a micro chip that can store information which can be used by law enforcement authorities"

As far back as the 90s the conspiracie theorist nuts have been predicting a micro chip tracking system which eventually we will all end up submitting to without knowing, they say is part of paving way for the so called new world order, as much as I think this guys were nuts they saw the micro chip system coming.
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