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Home Affairs will offer these five additional services under Level 2

As the economy reopens under Level 2 lockdown, so has the Department of Home Affairs. Here’s what’s available to you.

by Andrea Chothia

28-08-2020 12:15

in News

Image via: flickr

Minister of Home Affairs Aaron Motsoaledi, on Friday 28 August, issued the latest directives for the departments under Level 2 lockdown.

During a briefing, he said the new regulations had been gazetted. According to the government gazette, Home Affairs will offer an additional five services under Level 2.

HOME AFFAIRS WILL RENDER THESE FIVE SERVICES UNDER LEVEL 2

The following additional services will be rendered by the Department of Home Affairs during Alert Level 2 of the period of the national state of disaster:

Applications for the first issue of Identity Card or Green Bar -coded Identity Document;
Applications for Identity Cards or Green Bar -coded Identity Documents by persons who have been issued with a Temporary Identity Certificate during the national state of disaster, which certificates have expired;
Applications for amendments of personal particulars;
Applications for rectification of personal particulars; and
Back Office records retrieval services.

All Temporary Identity Certificates issued during the period of the national state of disaster that has not yet expired on the date of commencement of these directions have been extended to 31 October 2020.

EHOME AFFAIRS PORTAL REMAINS DEACTIVATED

While certain services have been brought back under Level 2, the eHomeAffairs portal will remain deactivated as new applications are still not accepted in the current level of the lockdown.

The refugee reception offices and borders throughout the country also remain closed while VFD officers are open only by appointment.

“VFS offices are open only by appointment for collection of outcomes on applications which were made before the lockdown,” said Motsoaledi.

“During each lockdown level, we analyse the numbers of people who normally visit our offices and determine which services we can offer safely. At all times, we aim to protect the lives of our employees and citizens while ensuring access to essential services. In reality, the pandemic is still with us and we want to keep the numbers of people who could be exposed to the virus in our offices to a bare minimum,” he added.

Since the beginning of the lockdown until 21 August 2020, Home Affairs assisted more than 1.6 million people who visited its offices with crucial enabling documents.

SMART ID CARDS AND PASSPORTS CAN BE COLLECTED

In the period between 27 March 2020 and 21 August 2020, the Department of Home Affairs issued 347 787 Temporary ID Certificates. Gauteng accounted for most of these TICs and has issued 92 597.

“Of the total issued TICs, 65 129 have expired. Holders of these expired TICs are now eligible to apply for Smart IDs. The validity period of the remaining 282 658 TICs has been extended to 31 October 2020,” said Motsoaledi.

On average, the department processes one million first time applications a year, mostly from learners. The department received a report from the Department of Basic Education indicating that there are 637 767 learners who do not have IDs.

Motsoaledi also said South Africans who are abroad and need to return to SA can apply for emergency passports. The department, in partnership with the banks which participate in the online system for smart ID card and passport applications, has opened for collections for clients who had applied for these documents before the lockdown.

This service will only be provided on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays during the bank’s operating hours. People who had applied for these documents before 26 March 2020, which is the lockdown’s starting date, may collect their smart ID cards and/or passports from their selected bank branches.

Bank branches that will be reopening for the collection of smart ID cards and passports are: