Pre-poll rush expected for IDs

2003-06-12 14:36

Johannesburg - Home Affairs Minister Mangosuthu Buthelezi said on Thursday his department was expecting a rush for identity documents ahead the 2004 elections.

It has been estimated applications will escalate up to 20 000 a day, he said at the Johannesburg launch of a national identity document campaign.

"For this reason, the department has expanded its resources to meet such demands.

"A regimen of selective overtime is already in place at the Pretoria head office in order to deal with this and improve on the turn-around time."

The department has the capacity to deal with 8 000 applicants a day, with a turn-around time of two months.

Buthelezi said the department was, however, already dealing with about 10 000 applicants a day.

He announced that, from Thursday, no fees for identity document re-issues would be charged and the department would bear the cost of the photographs needed up to the closure of voter registration for next year's election.

"I hope this will further encourage eligiable voters to apply for the necessary documentation."

A department official at the launch said it was not yet known when voter registration would end as a date had not yet been set for the election.

- SAPA