South African smart ID card / (Photo: Twitter / Home )
South African smart ID card / (Photo: Twitter / Home )
As the country gears up for the 2019 elections, the Justice, Crime Prevention and Security (JCPS) cluster have urged members of the public to collect their identity documents to allow them to cast their vote.
Gauteng leads with most uncollected IDs
The Home Affairs Department, which forms part of the JCPS cluster, said it has noted with concern that by the end of March 2019, a total of 355 257 smart ID cards and 3 620 green ID books were uncollected.
“The total of all uncollected identity documents stood at 358 877 comprising uncollected smart ID cards and green ID books.
“Gauteng has the highest number of uncollected smart ID cards, at 101 787, followed by KwaZulu-Natal with 55 634 uncollected smart cards and Eastern Cape with 46 504. Northern Cape has the lowest, with only 12 255,” said Police Minister Bheki Cele on behalf of the JCPS cluster.
Cele was speaking at a state of readiness media briefing, where he was joined by State Security Minister Dipuo Letsatsi-Duba and Home Affairs Minister Siyabonga Cwele.
2019 elections: Bheki Cele addresses IEC’s state of readiness
The department appealed to stakeholder forums, as well as community structures and leaders, to work closely with communities in urging people to collect their documents.
Cele said the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) will work with all the JCPS cluster departments to ensure that these elections happen in a safe and secure environment.
“Under the ambit of the National JOINTS, the SANDF will be on stand-by to provide support to the IEC. In the case of a disaster, the SANDF is on standby and ready to support, as they have contributed to assisting in the recent floods in KwaZulu-Natal and Eastern Cape,” said the Minister.
Cele emphasised that the cluster is operationally ready to ensure a safe and secure environment for free and fair elections to prevail.
“Together, we can build on the achievements of the past 25 years by going to the different voting stations to make sure that we build on the gains we have made since 1994.
“We wish all South Africans well as they exercise their constitutional right to vote for the party of their choice in the 6th general elections,” said Cele.
