The government has extended the expiry of temporary identity certificates to 31 October 2020. Home Affairs Minister Dr. Aaron Motsoaledi made this announcement during a media briefing, in Pretoria, on Home Affairs services under alert Level 2 Pretoria.
People, whose temporary identity certificates have expired, are now free to apply for the identity document.
People, who never had identity documents before, can also go to Home Affairs to apply for identity documents or for personal details amendment.
Dr. Motsoaledi says people can also apply for rectification particulars on their documents.
“Number one, all temporary identity certificates issued during the period of the national state of disaster that have not yet expired on the date of the commencement of these directions are hereby extended up to the 31st of October 2020. ”
In the video below, Minister Aaron Motsoaledi briefs the media on how the Department of Home Affairs will be conducting business during Level 2:
Passports
South Africans who are trapped overseas due to COVID-19 related restrictions can now apply for an emergency passport to return home.
Dr. Motsoaled says his department has received numerous complaints regarding passports that have expired and other related inquiries. He explained that rules governing passports are not set by Home Affairs but are determined by the International Civil Aviation Organisation.
Minister Motsoaledi urged those in foreign countries to make use of emergency passport services.
“South Africans who are abroad and need to return to South Africa can apply for emergency passports. The rules that govern passports are not rules of the Department of Home Affairs but they are rules of an organisation called ICAO-International Civil Aviation Organisation. So once we issue a passport once. It’s issued once. When it expires it gets thrown away. We will give you a new passport. So, we cannot extend the passport. If you are stuck overseas and you want to come to South Africa. You are given a temporary one-way passport.”
South African borders remain closed in the alert Level 2. Home Affairs’ refugees reception offices will remain closed.
Visas
Minister Motsoaledi says the Visa Facilitation Services offices will be operational by appointment only.
“The refugee reception offices and borders throughout the country remain closed. We are not opening any border. We are not opening any refugee reception office. The VFS offices are open only by appointment for collection of outcomes on applications that were made before the lockdown. People remember that the VFS is the Visa Facilitation Services. They are aware that, that has been closed. Now, we are saying it will only be opened by appointment for collection of outcomes on applications which were made before the lockdown.”
Matrics
Home Affairs Department in partnership with Basic Education is assisting Grade 12 learners to acquire identity documents ahead of them writing their final examinations. Home Affairs says it has received a report from the Department of Basic Education indicating that there are 637 767 learners who do not have IDs.
However, Home Affairs and Basic Education are working together to ensure that qualifying learners are provided with identity documents.
Home Affairs Deputy Minister Njabulo Nzuza says in 10 weeks they have managed to assist over 60 000 people.
“We partnered with the Department of Basic Education in June 2020 and started a special programme focused specifically on learners to assist them to get their identity documents. I’m pleased to announce that in the 10 weeks of the start of the programme, we have managed to register 62 104 IDs that have been issued to learners and this programme will continue ahead.”
