Home affairs minister Dr Leon Schreiber has welcomed the state’s plan to establish a national digital identity (ID) system.
During the State of the Nation Address (SONA) on Thursday, president Cyril Ramaphosa outlined government’s plans to put technology at the heart of public services, including introducing the digital ID system.
The Department of Home Affairs’ (DHA’s) core function is to manage the identity, civil status and migration of citizens.
The ministry will be charged with building the first components of the national digital ID system, according to Schreiber. It will aim to eliminate identity fraud, expand social and financial inclusion, and ensure access for all “at a touch”.
“As the custodian of all identity, civics and immigration services, home affairs is the linchpin for the digital transformation of government. Our five-year vision to deliver home affairs @ home, as announced in September last year, is built entirely around the digitalisation and automation of all services and processes, in alignment with the president’s announcement.”
The minister also lauded the president’s endorsement of progress at his department to deal with long-standing backlogs.
In addition to the digital ID system, the DHA will, during the next 12 months, launch a modern electronic travel authorisation system − driven by artificial Intelligence and machine learning − to automate tourist and short-stay visas.
The department will also implement the trusted tour operator scheme, to boost tourism from the burgeoning source markets of China and India.
Schreiber concludes: “I am grateful for the president’s support for our digital transformation agenda. We have already hit the ground running, and the president’s SONA announcements will help us to further accelerate our implementation of these game-changing reforms.”
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