Who Gets the Credit? Government Sets Record Straight on 10-Year Smart ID Bank Programme

The Department of Home Affairs’ partnership with banks to offer Smart ID services is making headlinesbut the government wants you to know: this is not new.

After the DA celebrated the programme as a win for their minister, Leon Schreiber, the government stepped in to clarify the history.

The Claim

“The end of long Home Affairs queues is in sight! Under the leadership of DA minister Leon Schreiber, a new digital rollout is underway at hundreds of bank branches,” the party posted on social media.

“You can now apply in just 5–10 minutes with no appointments, no paperwork and no waiting!”

The Correction

The South African government has weighed in with a factual timeline.

“The Smart ID digitisation programme was initiated in 2015 under the then minister of Home Affairs, Malusi Gigaba, as part of the government’s broader efforts to modernise the national identification system and enhance service delivery.”

When launched, the programme involved several major banks, including Absa, FNB, Nedbank, Standard Bank, and Investec.

“Discovery Bank joined in 2019 under the then Minister of Home Affairs, Siyabonga Cwele,” the government added.

The Model

The collaboration with banks forms part of a multi-channel access model aimed at expanding the department’s footprint and improving access to services.

Before Capitec recently joined, 30 bank branches across the country were already participating:

• 17 in Gauteng

• 5 in the Western Cape

• 2 in the Eastern Cape

• 3 in KwaZulu-Natal

• 1 each in Mpumalanga, Limpopo, and the Northern Cape

The Security

Government stressed that strict security measures protect citizens’ identity information.

The agreements are governed by memorandums of understanding (MoUs) between Home Affairs and banks.

“The security guarantees are assured because the ABIS database has the biometrics to ensure that no photo swaps can be facilitated at banks.”

The Welcome

Government welcomed Capitec’s recent participation.

“Government welcomes that Capitec has ultimately joined the initiative, under Leon Schreiber, current Minister of Home Affairs.”

It also noted that technology upgrades at some bankssuch as Standard Bank and FNBhave helped advance the system.

The Goal

“The advancement of this system will support the government’s initiative to eradicate the green-barcoded ID books and move South Africans to a more fraud-proof Digital ID.”

The Bottom Line

The Smart ID bank partnership is a decade-old programme. It was launched under Malusi Gigaba, expanded under Siyabonga Cwele, and continues under Leon Schreiber.

The DA can celebrate the latest rollout. But the credit belongs to a long line of ministersand a government initiative that has been quietly expanding for 10 years.

{Source: Citizen}

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