Green ID books still valid
Empangeni Home Affairs Office Manager, Vusi Mjadu, said rumours that the green barcoded ID books would be phased out by 1 April were not true
THERE has been no official announcement yet on the date when old Identity Document (ID) books will finally be phased out, but great strides are being made by the Department of Home Affairs to get people to upgrade to smart ID cards.
Empangeni Home Affairs Office Manager, Vusi Mjadu, said rumours that the green barcoded ID books would be phased out by 1 April were not true.
‘We treat this as fake news and it is not the first time such rumours have surfaced and have had to be addressed by the department.
‘These rumours first surfaced towards the end of 2017, claiming 31 March 2018 was the termination date for using the green coded ID books,’ Mjadu said.
‘The public should ignore these misleading messages, but we nevertheless encourage citizens to apply for smart ID cards as soon as possible if they have not done so as yet.
All Home Affairs offices countrywide will be open from 8am until 7pm for the duration of February to speed up the process of rolling out as many ID smart cards as possible.
Richards Bay still closed
Meanwhile, the Richards Bay Department of Home Affairs office remains closed to the public as they are in the process of moving to new premises.
With telephone and computer lines still to be installed, the mammoth process of moving mounds of files and documents is not expected to be completed before 11 February at the earliest.
Clients are advised to use other branches in the interim.
HAVE YOUR SAY
Like our Facebook page and follow us on Twitter.
For news straight to your phone invite us:
WhatsApp – 072 069 4169
Instagram – zululand_observer
