Pretoria – The Department of Home Affairs will open its offices on Saturday and Sunday, to coincide with the registration station hours for the collection of ID books, smartcard IDs or temporary identity certificates.
“Our offices will be open on the voter registration days from 8am-5pm in agreement with the IEC,” Home Affairs Minister Naledi Pandor said on Friday.
Pandor said as part of the department’s mandate to facilitate the issuing of enabling documents to citizens, it stood ready to issue identity documents including temporary identity certificates during this period to those who may require them for purposes of registration for the national elections.
“We encourage holders of certificates to apply for IDs speedily,” she said.
The IEC has proclaimed the dates of 9 and 10 November 2013 as registration days for the 2014 national elections.
Holders of both the current green-bar coded IDs and the Smart ID card over 18 years of age will be eligible to register and vote in the 2014 national elections.
The minister was confident that the majority of South Africans, black and white, will take advantage of the registration dates proclaimed by the IEC to register and verify their status so that they participate in the forthcoming 2014 national elections.
She said the national elections will also coincide with the country’s national celebration of 20 years of peace, freedom and democracy. – SAnews.gov.za
