Pretoria - The Department of Home Affairs, in line with its constitutional mandate to ensure that all South Africans are issued with valid identity documents (IDs), will this weekend 5 to 6 March 2011 work extended business hours from 08h00-17h00.
This follows the announcement by the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) that this will be its final voter registration weekend ahead of Local Government Elections to be held before the end of May this year.
As you are aware, the IEC is one of the legal entities that supports the constitutional mandate of the Department of Home Affairs. Accordingly, the Department is committed to ensuring that all South Africans who are over the age of 18 are able to exercise their democratic right to vote in free, fair and credible elections.
Officials at all of our offices, nationwide will therefore be on hand to collect and process first applications and applications for the reissue of IDs as well as temporary identity certificates which will be accepted by the IEC by those wanting to register to vote.
While an ID will ensure that those who are registered on the voters roll will be able to cast their ballots, it is also a passport to a better life and the opportunity to access services provided by government.
We urge those who have applied for IDs but have not yet collected them to do so.
Following our appeal ahead of the IECs first voter registration weekend in February this year, twenty thousand five hundred and sixteen South Africans collected their IDs over the weekend of 5-6 February. The total number of unclaimed IDs now stands at 500 000.
As a further expression of our commitment to provide citizens with services, the Department’s 117 mobile offices will be on hand to ensure that South Africans who do not live in close proximity to Home Affairs offices will also receive assistance.
Should South Africans encounter difficulties with their IDs, they are also invited to contact the following numbers for assistance:
- 072 381 0836
- 072 435 8596
- 079 075 4326
On behalf of Minister Dlamini Zuma, we take this opportunity to extend our appreciation to all officials of the Department who will, in the service of the country’s citizenry, work extended hours on Friday 4 March as well as full days on Saturday and Sunday 5 to 6 March 2011.
Finally, we extend a call to all the youth of this country, in their various organised formations – political, religious, academic and others – to take advantage of the opportunities offered by government which can be accessed using your ID. Please remember to apply for your ID as soon as you turn 16 years old. The Department has also begun a process of collaboration with the Department of Education through which we have been visiting schools and processing applications received.
To you who are the future of this country, an ID is truly your passport to the future you seek for yourself. The future really does belong to you.
