Smart Card System For South Africa????

Here we go again...déjà vu!

The South African government has decided to go ahead with the Smart Card system of identification without coming to any conclusion in its discussion with business, in particular the banks.

Home affairs minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula has announced that weaknesses in the green bar-coded ID system had made it imperative to go ahead as soon as possible.

"Many undesirable elements have had access to them. So we can forget about other applications, and just use the Smart Card," she said. The minister also said the Smart Card ID aimed to provide a secure identity system that would be useful in other government departments, notably for drivers licences or at pension pay points. However, it could also be used to identify customers to their banks.