The Home Affairs Minister outlined additional services that resumed under Alert Level 2, including extensions of expired temporary IDs, applications for new IDs and amendments. Over 1.6 million people received services like birth/death registrations and temporary IDs since the lockdown began. Banks reopened select branches on specific days for collecting smart IDs and passports applied for before lockdown. The minister urged continued observance of health protocols.

1. Statement by Home Affairs Minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi outlining additional
services which resumed during Alert Level 2 of the Lockdown.
28 August 2020
My colleague, Deputy Minister, Honourable Mr Njabulo Nzuza
Home Affairs Acting Director General Mr Jackson Mckay
Home Affairs Deputy Director General for Civic Services Mr Thomas Sigama
Members of the media
Fellow citizens
Good morning and thank you for making time to engage with us as we outline
services which are offered by the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) under Alert
Level 2 of the lockdown. The services resumed on 26 August 2020 after the
Directions authorising the provision of these services was gazetted.
The Deputy Minister and I work closely with the Department to constantly review the
services which can be resumed safely in line with the Disaster Regulations and
health protocols in place.
As a way of balancing the need to offer critical enabling documents to citizens,
Directions providing for the following additional services was issued on Tuesday, 25
August 2020:
● All Temporary Identity Certificates issued during the period of the National
State of Disaster that have not yet expired on the date of commencement of
this Directions, are hereby extended up to 31 October 2020;
● Applications for Identity Cards or Green Barcoded Identity Documents by
persons who have been issued with a Temporary Identity Certificate during the
National State of Disaster, which certificates have expired;
● Applications for first issue of Identity Card or Green Barcoded
Identity Document;
● Applications for amendments of personal particulars;
● Applications for rectification of personal particulars.

2. In the period between 27 March 2020 and 21 August 2020, the Department issued
347 787 Temporary ID Certificates. Gauteng accounted for most of these TICs and
has issued 92 597.
Of the total issued TICs, 65 129 have expired. Holders of these expired TICs are now
eligible to apply for Smart IDs. The validity period of remaining 282 658 TICs has been
extended to 31 October 2020.
On average, the Department processes one million first time applications a year,
mostly from learners. The Department has received a report from the Department of
Basic Education indicating that there are 637 767 learners who do not have IDs.
The Deputy Minister is leading the initiative of ensuring that learners are issued with
their IDs. He will provide more details on this important work.
On average, 4 000 people a month visit our offices for amendments and rectification
of personal particulars.
South Africans who are abroad and need to return to SA can apply for emergency
passports.
The Department, in partnership with the banks which participate in the online system
for smart ID card and passport applications has opened for collections for clients who
had applied for these documents before the lockdown. This service will only be
provided on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays during the banks’ operating hours.
People who had applied for these documents before 26 March 2020, which is the
lockdown’s starting date, may collect their smart ID cards and/or passports from their
selected bank branches.
Bank branches that will be re-opening for collection of smart ID cards and passports,
are the following:
1. Absa Greenacres, Port Elizabeth
2. Absa Sandton City
3. Absa Towers, Johannesburg

3. 4. Absa Lifestyle, Centurion
5. FNB Lifestyle, Centurion
6. FNB Menlyn, Pretoria
7. FNB Merchant, Sandton
8. FNB Portside, Cape Town
9. Investec Bank Sandton
10.Nedbank Arcadia
11.Nedbank Constantia Kloof, Roodepoort
12.Nedbank Rivonia
13.Nedbank Nelspruit
14.Nedbank St Georges Mall, Cape Town
15.Standard Bank Simmonds Street
16.Standard Bank Canal Walk, Cape Town
17.Standard Bank Killarney Mall
18.Standard Bank Centurion Lifestyle
19.Standard Bank Kingsmead, Durban
20.Standard Bank Jubilee Mall, Hammanskraal
The eHomeAffairs portal remains deactivated as new applications are still not
accepted in the current level of the lockdown.
The refugee reception offices and borders throughout the county remain closed. VFS
offices are open only by appointment for collection of outcomes on applications
which were made before the lockdown.
During each lockdown level, we analyse the numbers of people who normally visit our
offices and determine which services we can offer safely. At all time, we aim to protect
the lives of our employees and citizens while ensuring access to essential services. In
reality, the pandemic is still with us and we want to keep the numbers of people who
could be exposed to the virus in our offices to a bare minimum.
Even when the world paused during Level 5 of the lockdown, Home Affairs didn't. We
couldn't. Our people needed our services to adjust to the new normal. We kept going
within the limitations caused by the Covid 19 regulations. Since the beginning of the
lockdown until 21 August 2020, our committed and dedicated staff assisted more than
1.6 million people who visited our offices with crucial enabling documents.
We assisted people with the following services;

4. ● 181 492 re-issue of replacement birth certificates,
● 198 846 death registrations
● 347 787 Temporary ID Certificates, as indicated earlier
● 366 988 birth registrations
● 318 812 IDs and
● 195 474 passports, mostly for people involved in essential services
From the beginning of the lockdown on 27 March 2020 until Wednesday, 26 August
2020, our immigration officials assisted 839 004 people to cross our borders under
the permissible conditions. Most of these people were foreign nationals who were
returning to their countries and South Africans who were returning home, to South
Africa. Some of these South Africans have since returned to their base countries.
Other people who were assisted include those who were travelling for emergency
medical evacuations.
As we resume more services, I urges everyone who will be visiting our offices and our
partner banks to observe health protocols aimed at combating the spread COVID-19.
They must wear face masks, maintain social distancing and adhere to all other
applicable regulations. The banks had undertaken to continue doing all in their powers
to protect staff and clients.
The Directions can be accessed via the following links:
https://www.gov.za/sites/default/files/gcis_document/202008/43650gon923.pdf
Thank you