Pretoria - More than 18 000 Identity Documents were issued by Home Affairs over the weekend.
The department had extended its working hours on Saturday and Sunday so that people could collect their IDs to enable them to register to vote in the upcoming municipal elections.
The department said the support to the 18 419 applicants was part of the department's commitment to fulfil its constitutional mandate to the IEC to enable the country's citizens to exercise their democratic right to vote.
"Officials worked extended hours on 4 February 2011, from 8am to 5pm on 5 and 6 February. The department's 117 mobile offices were also deployed across the country as per the directive of the Minister of Home Affairs, Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma," the department said.
About 7 483 new ID applications were processed and 1 196 temporary identity certificates were issued on Saturday.
The department said it appreciated the 9 740 South Africans who heeded its call to collect their IDs and also re-appealed to the remaining South Africans with uncollected IDs to collect them as soon as possible.
"Your ID guarantees your democratic right to vote, in addition to enabling you to access other social services provided by government."
Dlamini Zuma thanked the department's officials who worked extended hours over the weekend and commited the department to again work to deliver quality services during the next voter registration weekend.
