The departments of Home Affairs and Basic Education deployed mobile units to 1 625 school nationwide to assist young people in rural areas.
The Department of Home Affairs is on a drive to assist young people get their IDs.
In partnership with the Department of Basic Education, mobile units have scoured the nation’s schools to provide DHA services.
The programme is an extension of a mobile unit capability that has existed since at least 2020.
81 833 applications still pending
In the first three months of the 2024/25 financial year, 37 214 school children have been delivered their IDs and other home affairs-specific documentation.
Additionally, 81 833 children and 44 619 adults have been assisted with their documentation and are awaiting delivery.
The mobile units give children and their parents at 1 625 schools an opportunity to access services without incurring the cost of travel and lengthy wait times.

The initiative focused on the nation’s rural areas, with Limpopo benefitting the most with 8 765 pupils assisted between April and June.

Mobile units in the Eastern Cape registered 5 763 pupils, while departments in Kwazulu-Natal assisted 3 799.

“Our goal remains the complete digital

transformation and automation of all DHA processes to make it more secure and convenient to obtain civic documentation,” stated DHA Minister Leon Schreiber.

“This project is a good example of our commitment to continuously improve our use of the tools currently at our disposal to deliver dignity, even as we work at speed to bring about the digital transformation,” he said.
How to apply for a South African ID

Applications for IDs are submitted on a BI-9 form completed in black ink, accompanied by a certified copy of the applicant’s birth certificate and two colour ID photos.

Naturalised citizens or permanent residence holders must attach their naturalisation certificate, permanent residency certificate, exemption certificate and the BI-1620 form.

The re-issuing of IDs for spouses who have changed surnames or those who have lost or had their ID stolen can be done using the BI-9 form with a marriage certificate and relevant affidavit.

First time applicants must be 16 or older, and Temporary Identification Certificates can be obtained at any DHA office and will be done so using fingerprint verification. V.5603

The extensions will help address a backlog of applications. One of the first acts of new Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber has been to give visa applicants a reprieve. Schreiber extended the temporary concession for foreigners awaiting the outcome of their visa, waiver and appeal applications. Home Affairs claims the move is aimed at addressing a backlog of applications and not prejudicing the applicants due to the expected delays. Protection for lawful contributors to SA V.5616
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Joel Sihle Ngubane of the uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) party and a member of the portfolio committee on Home Affairs have called on the department to prioritise local skills before issuing critical skills visas to foreigners. V.5617
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The White Paper on Citizenship, Immigration and Refugee Protection proposes a raft of legislative reforms. • One is that the period a foreign national resides in the country won`t be the main considering factor for granting permanent residency. • The Department of Home Affairs is looking to introduce a points-based system for foreign nationals to apply for residency. V.5618
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Here are the latest adjustments to 2024 car licence renewal fees in South Africa, as the department continues with stringent reforms … The new Transport Minister is taking the department to task over 2024 car licence renewal fees. However, motorists are reminded that when it comes to how much licence renewal will cost outright, it still varies from province to province. V.5614
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The news: South Africa’s Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber has announced the government’s plan to digitise the department, eliminating the need for in-person visits. The government expects this online system to reduce, if not eliminate, in-person visits by transforming the current paper-based processes into an automated platform, allowing South Africans to access services like ID applications, passport renewals, and visas remotely. V.5615
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Germany`s Chancellor Olaf Scholz (R) and Kenya`s President William Ruto signed the deal in Berlin Germany has agreed to open the doors to 250,000 skilled and semi-skilled Kenyan workers in a controlled and targeted labour migration deal. Kenya is struggling with increasing difficulties in providing work and sufficient income for its young professionals, while Germany is facing a shortage of skilled labour. V.5609
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BEIJING - China said it would gradually raise its statutory retirement age, as the country grapples with a looming demographic crisis and an older population. Hundreds of millions of people in China are set to enter old age in the coming decades while the birth rate dwindles dramatically. V.5610
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A surprise inspection at a Pretoria restaurant resulted in the arrest of two foreign national employees who allegedly did not have documentation to be in the country. (Alex Mitchley/News24) • The Department of Labour has conducted a `blitz` inspection at a restaurant in Menlyn. • The surprise inspection came after a complaint alleging the flouting of labour practices by a former employee that started making the rounds on social media. • One of the restaurant owners dismissed the allegations. V.5611
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The Western Cape High Court has temporarily stopped the initiation of any process to deport a foreign national who has indicated an intent to apply for asylum, until their application has been finalised. • The Western Cape High Court has temporarily halted the initiation of any process to deport a foreign national who has indicated an intent to apply for asylum, until their application has been finalised. • The interim interdict will remain in place pending the outcome of the main court application brought by the Scalabrini Centre of Cape Town. • The court is expected to hear that main challenge in February 2025. V.5612
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South Africa’s plan to attract more professionals to its skills-starved economy through the introduction of a so-called nomad visa for remote workers has been slowed by the need to amend tax regulations. The impediment comes after an initial delay when changes to the visa regime had to be temporarily withdrawn because mandatory public consultation procedures hadn’t been followed. V.5613
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