Cabinet approves Bills for public comment

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This was on Thursday confirmed by Minister in the Presidency, Mondli Gungubele, during a Post Cabinet media briefing.

He said the Bill follows approval of the OSBP Policy and its implementation strategy in March 2022.

The Bill, he said, seeks to harmonise the movement of people and goods between South Africa’s land ports of entry and its neighbouring countries.

He said: “This will alleviate current congestions at our land ports of entry for cross-border travellers and traders. These interventions are also key in the country’s efforts in driving the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Agreement”.

The agreements envisioned in the Bill, he said, will ensure that the processing of goods, vehicles and people is seamless and fast.

The Bill also responds to relevant international legal instruments that relate to trade facilitation and movements of people and goods.

National Identification and Registration Bill of 2022

In the same meeting, Cabinet approved the publication of the National Identification and Registration Bill of 2022 for public comments.

This Bill gives effect to the Official Identity Management Policy and seeks to provide a single, inclusive and integrated digital national identification system for all people who live or have lived in the country.

Gungubele said the draft Bill will provide for the compilation and maintenance of a population register for citizens and permanent residents.

“It further provides for the creation of an identification data base for certain foreigners who sojourn temporarily in the country. It also provides for a biometric National Identity System (NIS) that will enable a single view of a person by providing for particulars to be included in the population register and the identification database.

“The NIS will also be able to interface with other government and private sector identity systems,” he said.

Both the OSBP Bill of 2022 and National Identification and Registration Bill of 2022 will be published in the Department of Home Affairs website: www.dha.gov.za. Members of the public are encouraged to submit written comments to the following address: The Director-General of Home Affairs, Private Bag X114, Pretoria, 0001. Tel: +27 (0)12 406 4353.