Pretoria: Minister of Home Affairs Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, during her recent official visit to Shanghai, China for the closing ceremony of the South African Pavilion at the Shanghai Expo 2010 over the past weekend, instructed officials of the department to urgently issue identity documents to matriculants who have registered for the forthcoming examinations and have applied for IDs but have not received them.
The Minister’s proactive actions seek to assist the many matriculants who will need proper documentation to sit for the examination, apply for further study opportunities or find employment after completing their Grade 12 examinations.
Accordingly, Minister Dlamini Zuma said “the department has a constitutional mandate to ensure all South Africans of 16 years and above acquire the necessary identity documents to enable them to access opportunities and social services provided by government and other sectors of society.”
“Accordingly, it is crucial for the Department of Home Affairs to ensure that matriculants who are registered to sit for the forthcoming examinations possess identity documents that will be the key to their future and a life of dignity,” the Minister Dlamini Zuma stated.
“Consequently, I have directed the department to leave no stone unturned to ensure that all matriculants who are registered for examination and have applied forID’s but have not received such documents are assisted urgently and without delay,” concluded Minister Dlamini Zuma.
In response to this directive by Minister Dlamini Zuma and as part of our constitutional mandate, to deliver quality services to all our people, and true to our conviction that we care, we have as a department developed a comprehensive project plan to deal with this challenge.
In this regard, we have now established a national call centre based at our Headquarters in Pretoria with a view to fast-tracking the issuance of identity documents to these needy matriculants.
We join the call by Minister Dlamini Zuma to all matriculants who are registered for examinations and have applied for IDs, but not yet received them, to urgently contact the Department of Home Affairs at the following call centre numbers for assistance in acquiring identity documents:
- 071 1236 353
- 071 1255 631
- 071 2278 438
- 072 3810 836
- 072 616 8819
- 072 4358 569
- 079 511 8810
- 079 0754 326
- 082 806 4945
- 082 808 2782
- 0800 6011 90
- 0800 204 476
These contact numbers will be operational on a 24 hour basis and with immediate effect, as of today 21 October 2010. In order for the call centre to speedily assist matriculants in need of this service, the students will be expected to provide the call centre with the following information:
- Full names, surnames and an identity number as it appears on the birth certificate.
- Proof of registration for the 2010 matric examinations.
- Name of school and principal where the matriculant is presently studying.
- An examination number.
- An examination centre number.
- Provision of a cell phone or landline number.
Following verification of this information, the applicant will be advised through sms or telephone of date for collection of such identity document. As a department and as soon as the requisite information is received, we will ensure that such students receive their identity documents within a limited period of time.
Working together with such students we can jointly ensure through acquisition of such identity documents, that their lives are not disrupted, their future at higher learning institution for those who qualify or those who will join the market can access opportunities available to all South Africans as part of efforts to create a better life for all.
Minister Dlamini Zuma joins the Ministry of Basic Education and indeed the entire nation in wishing all our matriculants good luck and success in their endevour to pass their final matric examinations.
In an unrelated matter, the department wishes to appeal to all citizens who have applied for IDs and passports to make arrangements to collect them at their nearest home affairs offices. Despite several attempts to contact such affected persons through sms, telephone or mobile phones and/or mail, affected citizens still fail to collect these critical documents, leaving our offices with large quantities of uncollected passports or Identity documents.
