South Africa’s plans for integrated digital ID advance as cabinet approves dedicated bill
Published: 21/Feb/2023
Source: Biometric Update
By Ayang Macdonald
The National Identification and Registration Bill 2022, a piece of draft legislation which seeks to introduce a single and integrated biometric national identification system (NIS) for all persons living on South African territory, has been approved by cabinet to be published for comments by members of the public.
Speaking as guest on South African TV channel eNCA on 18 February, Home Affairs Minister Aaron Motsoaledi said finishing touches were being made to the bill and that it could be released for comment by midweek.
According to Motsoaledi, the bill is the product of wide consultations with different stakeholders, and seeks among other things to create a single database from the three major databases currently existing in the country.
“At the present moment, we have got three databases for the people who are found within the borders of South Africa. Unfortunately, all of these three databases do not communicate which each other in any way. They are not integrated. So, what the bill seeks to do in this case is to bring up a new system called the National Identification System (NIS),” said Motsoaledi.
The three databases referred to are the national population register, the biometric National Identity System, and the Visa Adjudication System (VAS).