The Deputy Minister of Home Affairs, Fatima Chohan delivered Identity Documents (IDs) house-to-house in the Knysna Local Municipality on Friday, 7 December 2012 as part of the department’s drive to popularise the National Population Registration (NPR) campaign.
The NPR campaign is aimed at securing the country’s population register through ensuring that birth registration becomes the only entry point into the population register. In this regard, mothers are encouraged to register their babies’ birth within 30-days of delivery. Other aspects of the campaign are the issuance of IDs to those turning 16-years and above and the elimination of late registration of birth.
Among the houses visited by Deputy Minister Chohan was the Vermont Home for the Aged in Hornlee where she delivered IDs to pensioners. She also went to deliver IDs at the homes of young people, in that area and at White Location, who had turned 16-year old and who would need their green barcoded ID book to fulfill a requirement for writing matric exams. The Deputy Minister highlighted the importance of keeping this book safe, pointing out to the youngsters that it was a passport to their future as they would need it throughout their lives, including to access bursaries and scholarship and upon entering high learning institutions.
The Deputy Minister also interacted with the local residents at Khayalethu Hall where the department’s Mobile Offices provided Home Affairs services. Several residents brought late birth registrations and applied for IDs.
With one entry point into the population register, at birth, the department can ultimately eradicate late birth registrations as well as succeed in its quest to eliminate fraud and corruption related to the production of identity documents, including identity theft.
A secure, credible and accurate National Population Register will assist the government in order to plan adequately to fulfill its social contract with the citizenry of the country as well as safeguard all those within its borders.
For enquiries:
Zandile Ratshitanga
Cell: 071 602 2734
