The Department of Home Affairs has successfully delivered ID cards and other essential documentation to 37,214 learners across 1,625 schools nationwide, during the first quarter of the 2024/2025 financial year.
According to department spokesperson, Duwayne Esau, in a strategic partnership with the Department of Education, Home Affairs deployed mobile offices to the schools.
By bringing Home Affairs services directly to schools, the initiative has alleviated the need for learners and their families to incur travel costs to visit Home Affairs offices, he said.
"Our goal remains the complete digital transformation and automation of all Home Affairs processes to make it more secure and convenient to obtain civic documentation," Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber. said.
"However, even while we work to put in place the reforms required to turn the Department into a digital-first organisation, we are also finding innovative ways to improve our existing service offering."
The collaboration with the Department of Basic Education has notably expanded services to rural areas, including Limpopo, where 8,765 learners have applied for their IDs between April and June 2024, Esau says.
In addition, 5,763 learners in the Eastern Cape and 3,799 in KwaZulu-Natal benefited from the programme during the same period.
The Department also facilitated ID applications for 44,619 adults through mobile offices.
In total, Esau said Home Affairs has assisted 81,833 individuals with their ID applications directly in their communities from April to June.
IOL