New system won’t process passports – DHA

THE eChannel system,

to be trialled in selected

banks from next

month, will not process

passport applications,

Department of Home

Affairs spokesperson,

Mayihlome Tshwete,

told TNW.

Earlier, the South

African government news

portal reported that

applications for smart

ID cards and passports

would be processed at

banks and the South

African Post Office as

part of the eChannel

system. However,

Mayihlome has since

clarified that, for now, the

pilot would only be for

the application of smart

ID cards.

Mayihlome was quoted

in Traveller24 saying that

“while the Department’s

new Smart ID card pilot

project does not allow for

the application process

of passports as yet, that

is the end goal”.