President Cyril Ramaphosa has announced that South Africa will progressively discontinue the use of the green barcoded ID book as part of government’s efforts to strengthen immigration management and combat identity fraud.

Addressing the nation on migration issues on Sunday evening, Ramaphosa said the Department of Home Affairs is establishing an Intelligent Population Register containing biometric data for every person in the country, laying the foundation for a Digital ID system.

As part of these reforms, the President said the green ID book has become vulnerable to abuse by criminal syndicates and undocumented individuals involved in identity theft.

“At the same time, we will progressively discontinue the green ID books, which have enabled identity theft by undocumented immigrants and criminal syndicates,” Ramaphosa said.

He added that the Department of Home Affairs will announce a future date after which green ID books will no longer be recognised as a valid form of identification.

The move forms part of broader measures aimed at improving the integrity of South Africa’s identification systems, tackling corruption, and strengthening the enforcement of immigration laws.

Government has encouraged citizens who still use green ID books to prepare for the transition to more secure forms of identification, including the Smart ID Card and future digital identity systems.

-The VIP Team 

-Presidency ZA