Cape Town - Minister of Home Affairs, Naledi Pandor will, tomorrow, Thursday 25 July 2013 in Cape Town, hand over a Smart ID card to Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu  as part of efforts by government to introduce the smart ID cards to the citizenry respectively in Cape Town.

Earlier on Wednesday, Minister Pandor handed over a Smart ID card to former President FW De Klerk in Cape Town. The handover of the smart ID cards to both former President De Klerk and Archbishop Tutu comes within the context of the recent launch of the Smart ID Card on Nelson Mandela Day 18 July at the Union Buildings.

The Smart ID card was unveiled at a function held at the Union Buildings on 18 July  2013 to coincide with celebrations of Nelson Mandela international Day which witnessed the first Smart ID card being handed to former President Nelson Mandela through his daughter Zindzi Mandela.

The first group of South Africans to receive the Smart ID card included Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe, former President Thabo Mbeki, Ahmed Kathrada, Frene Ginwala, Dennis Goldberg, Sophie De Bruyn and a number senior citizens of ages ranging between 80 and 109 years

Minister Pandor has announced the government’s intention to introduce the smart ID cards this year, 2013 as follows:

• the public will be invited to apply for the smart ID cards
• applications will be in accordance with months of births.
• Smart ID cards will be issued free to 16 year olds who are first-time applicants
• All other applicants will be expected to pay R140-00 (one hundred and forty rand only)
• The process of the roll-out of the smart ID cards will take a few years, so the public is called upon to exercise patience

MEDIA IS INVITED AS FOLLOWS:

Date: Thursday 25 July 2013 (hand-over to Archbishop Desmond Tutu)

Time: 10h00

Venue: 62 Frazzitta Business Park, corner Koeberg and Freedom Way, Milnerton, Cape Town

For more info contact Ronnie Mamoepa at 082 990 4853 or Lunga at 082 566 0446

909 Arcadia Street, Pretoria, 0001,  24 July 2013