Home Affairs admits ID inefficiencies

Johannesburg, 30 Aug 2007

SA loses billions of rands annually due to the population management system's inability to provide effective ID verification, says the Department of Home Affairs.

As a result, the department is overhauling its IT systems, putting in place stronger ID verification measures and helping to fight cybercrime.

Speaking at the GovTech 2007 conference, organised by the State IT Agency, in Cape Town last week, Home Affairs director-general Mavuso Msimang said government lost more than R1 billion to social grant fraud last year.

"Insurance lost in excess of R3 billion last year due to their inability to verify information," he said. Banks and retail sectors face similar problems, with individuals applying for credit cards under false pretences, he added.

Msimang said in view of these challenges, the Department of Home Affairs needs to overhaul its IT systems to ensure stronger ID verification measures are in place. "We are looking to upgrade the national register to provide online verification capability."

He would not comment on how soon the register would be completed, nor quantify how much the project would cost. However, the funds required are already in the budget, he noted.

Msimang said the population register would allow good ID management, travel and migration would be effectively controlled, and cybercrime dealt with.

Work on introducing the long-awaited smart card is likely to begin in April, he pointed out. The "Who am I" project, to implement a new integrated core business system for the department that allows paperless, real-time transactions, will also be revived.

Hanis, the Home Affairs National Information System, is being overhauled. "We've brought in some people to look at the whole architecture."

Home Affairs is also working towards the introduction of the e-passport and e-visa systems. The e-visa does, however, present a conundrum, as nearly half of the world does not need a visa to visit SA. However, these initiatives would provide stronger efficiency, security and cost savings, he said.