Pretoria — Home Affairs has made arrangements to ensure certain services at branches are offered beyond normal working hours and South Africans can get their green ID book or smart ID cards.
Voters will need their IDs to be able to vote in the 2016 Municipal Elections on 3 August.
“The Department of Home Affairs has a constitutional mandate to ensure all South Africans, 16 years and above, acquire the necessary green barcoded identity documents or smart ID cards to enable them to access opportunities and various services that government provides,” said Home Affairs Minister Malusi Gigaba on Tuesday.
He said in preparation for the elections, the department has extended working hours to assist those people who want to apply for their IDs.
Home Affairs offices across the country will be open on Saturday, 30 July 2016 from 8:30am to 5pm; Monday 1 August from 8.30am to 6pm; Tuesday 2 August from 8.30am to 6pm and on Election Day on Wednesday 3 August from 7am to 7pm.
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Thousands of IDs remain unclaimed
ALMOST 208 000 newly-issued identity documents (IDs) are gathering dust at Home Affairs offices across the country, as applicants are failing to collect them. Of the 208 000 IDs, 168 000 are smart cards, which will replace the green ID book. Statistics about uncollected IDs were revealed by Home Affairs Minister Malusi Gigaba at the handover of the revamped Ratlou Home Affairs office in Thaba Nchu last Wednesday (13/07). The premises was renovated as part of broader plans to bring government services closer to the people of Thaba Nchu and neighbouring areas.
Gigaba has raised concerns that IDs gathering dust at Home Affairs premises countrywide will be needed by voters for the upcoming local government election on 3 August and has urged applicants to collect their IDs ahead of the upcoming local elections.
He said uncollected IDs were mostly in remote regions with a high indigent list. He said local municipalities would be roped in to provide IDs to residents on the indigent list, with free transport to Home Affairs offices in rural areas.
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South Africa: Home Affairs Extends Working Hours
Pretoria — Home Affairs has made arrangements to ensure certain services at branches are offered beyond normal working hours and South Africans can get their green ID book or smart ID cards.
Voters will need their IDs to be able to vote in the 2016 Municipal Elections on 3 August.
“The Department of Home Affairs has a constitutional mandate to ensure all South Africans, 16 years and above, acquire the necessary green barcoded identity documents or smart ID cards to enable them to access opportunities and various services that government provides,” said Home Affairs Minister Malusi Gigaba on Tuesday.
He said in preparation for the elections, the department has extended working hours to assist those people who want to apply for their IDs.
Home Affairs offices across the country will be open on Saturday, 30 July 2016 from 8:30am to 5pm; Monday 1 August from 8.30am to 6pm; Tuesday 2 August from 8.30am to 6pm and on Election Day on Wednesday 3 August from 7am to 7pm.
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Ghana: Visa-on-Arrival Introduced for African Union Nationals
African Union nationals whose countries do not have a visa-free agreement with Ghana are now eligible for a 30-day visa-on-arrival for business and tourism. The visa-on-arrival program will be piloted for three months starting at Kotoka International Airport and will be extended to other ports of entry in the future. Travelers can extend their visa upon expiry in Ghana, and business travelers can apply for a longer-term visa at a Ghanaian consular post.
Member states of the African Union include 54 countries listed here.
Eligible travelers must provide the following documents upon arrival:
• Passport valid for at least three months from the date of entry;
• Return ticket or evidence of onward travel; and
• Proof of sufficient funds and accommodation.
What This Means for Employers and Foreign Nationals
African Union nationals should benefit from the visa-on-arrival program and should contact their immigration professional if they need to renew their visa or seek a longer-term visa.
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Zim-Zam univisa ‘coming soon’
The univisa between Zimbabwe and Zambia, successfully piloted between 2014 and 2015, will soon be fully implemented, according to Chilala Mayanda Habasimbi, Zambia Ministry of Tourism Acting Principle Tourism and Development Research Officer.
“We are hoping soon. I can’t give you an exact date because Zambia is going into elections but I’m hoping everything moves quicker, despite the elections,” said Mayanda Habasimbi. “The memorandum of understanding is almost cleared.” He said there was a need to see how the project could continue forward following the ending of the pilot project on December 31, 2015.
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