No longer Department of `horror affairs`

Source: Iol.com, 14/04/2016

No longer Department of `horror affairs`
11 April 2016 – Iol.com
Pretoria - Long queues, hours of waiting and the endless filling in of
forms at the Department of Home Affairs will soon be a thing of the
past, with the introduction of live capturing, the smart card and
other aspects of the modernisation of the much-maligned department.
The new and improved technology-driven eHome Affairs (electronic Home
Affairs) will take a segment of the population out of the offices and
allow them access to an online platform where they can make
applications and pay for them.
"We are offering efficient, easy to apply for and secure service for
our people," director-general Mkhuseli Apleni told the Pretoria News.
The department was forced to move with the times and fall in with the
tech-savvy trends of the world.
Corruption was rife and the identities of people stolen and constantly
under threat. Home Affairs offices across the country were associated
with long queues and endless hours spent waiting for services.
And when the application processes had been completed people waited
for months for their documents.
"There was an era where Home Affairs was known as horror affairs,"
Apleni said.
Instead of denial, the government accepted there were problems and
decided to turn things around. In 2008 a team of consultants were
brought in to steer the department back to its core mandate.
Apleni said the department was key in providing the security
architecture of the country; and to ensure that socio-economic
benefits and the economy ran smoothly.
"You have to come to us to open a bank account, to buy a car, to start
a business, among others, and so we had the responsibility to make it
easier for people to go about these things," he said.
The first step was the introduction of a machine readable passport:
"No longer would officials compare a picture to a face to determine
ownership," he said. And although the new passport also came at an
additional cost, it became available at least five months sooner.
As plans to modernise Home Affairs were rolled out, the live capturing
system was put in place, and it eliminated certain aspects of the
application process.
"No more do people have to bring pictures with them nor are they
required to dip fingers in ink. Instead, their pictures will be taken
in a photo booth and their fingerprints collected electronically."
These biometric details, name and ID numbers are then sent to the
government printing works where they are also stored for future use.
"You see, with e-government, these details will also be used by other
departments," said Apleni. Because the smart card was fitted with a
micro-chip it had the capacity to carry more details of the holder, he
said.
"Why must people carry multiple cards when they can have information
on the status of their driver`s licence, gun licence, social grant
card, etc, on one card."
Traffic police and other law enforcement agencies would have equipment
into which they would slot the smart card and retrieve the relevant
information on the spot.
Home Affairs systems had to be revamped because they were the backbone
of the country, taking care of citizens from the cradle to the grave
and beyond, Apleni said.
Home Affairs was also the contact point for immigrants from the moment
they entered the country until they left.
Apelni spoke after Minister Malusi Gigaba and President Jacob Zuma
launched a partnership between the government and four major banks to
allow people to apply for their smart cards and passports at the banks.
People aged 30 to 35 can make the application at Standard Bank, Absa,
Nedbank and FNB in a process the minister described as a first of its
kind in the world and which would combat identity fraud.
Apleni said the system would complement efforts to get people out of
the Home Affairs application halls to create space.
"The introduction of online applications and the bank arrangement will
leave very few people coming to our offices, leaving staff to work
faster."
Home Affairs was the backbone of the country and everyone had to have
contact with it every now and again, Apleni said.
The contact had to be as painless and efficient as possible, and that
was the vision of the department`s modernisation process.