Pretoria - Home Affairs Minister Naledi Pandor will tomorrow, Tuesday 15 October 2013 unveil three Home Affairs offices in Pretoria and Johannesburg earmarked for the first phase of the of the Smart ID Card applications for the public.

In this regard, Minister Pandor will hand over Smart ID Cards to a number of selected senior citizens at the Home Affairs Byron’s Place in Pretoria and Harrison Street in Johannesburg, within the context of national celebrations to honour the role of senior citizens in the development of our communities and country.

The Director-General, Mkuseli Apleni will on the other hand unveil the Cape Town’s Barrack Street offices on the same day where members of the Portfolio committee on Home Affairs are expected to apply for the smart ID cards

The roll-out of the Smart ID card will also witness cabinet ministers, deputy ministers, members of parliament, media editors as well as other sectors being invited to apply through the three offices in Gauteng and Western Cape this week.

Since the launch of the Smart ID Card at the Union Buildings on 18 July to coincide with the international celebrations of Nelson Mandela Day, the home affairs department has been engaged in process of revamping infrastructure in offices across the country to enable it to roll the Smart ID cards.

The opening of the three offices in Gauteng and the Western Cape are part of national plan by Minister Pandor and the Department of Home Affairs to unveil more offices across the country later this year to roll-out the smart ID card to members of the public.

As the department roll-out the smart ID card, the department wishes to reiterate that:

• The public must wait to be invited to apply in accordance with their dates of birth
• The roll-out of the smart ID card will take a few years, thus the public is called upon to exercise patience
• The smart ID card will be issued freely to 16 year-olds
• All other citizens are expected to pay R140-00

The roll-out of the Smart ID card is part of  efforts introduced since the dawn of peace, freedom and democracy in 1994 and aimed at the consolidating the restoration of national identity, citizenship and dignity to all South Africans.

MEDIA IS INVITED AS FOLLOWS

PRETORIA: MINISTER PANDOR

Venue: Byron’s Place, corner Sophie De Bruyn and Nina Sita Street

Time: 10h00

Date: 15 October 2013

JOHANNESBURG: MINISTER PANDOR

Venue: Harrison Street, Home Affairs offices, Johannesburg

Time: 12h00

Date: 15 October 2013

CAPE TOWN: DIRECTOR-GENERAL APLENI

Venue: Barrack Street, Home Affairs offices

Time: 10h00

Date: 15 October 2013.

For more information call Ronnie at 082 990 4853 or Lunga at 082 566 0446

Issued by Department of Home Affairs, 909 Arcadia Street, Pretoria, 0001

14 October 2013