Business Day, 27 May 1999
WITH more than 100000 identity documents still undelivered, the cabinet has approved contingency plans for home affairs offices to remain open at the weekend and for remaining IDs to be issued at polling stations.
The cabinet was told yesterday that home affairs had cleared a major portion of its massive ID backlog, but that by last Friday 169775 documents remained undelivered nationwide.
Chief government spokesman Joel Netshitenzhe said the department would do all it could to send IDs still in its possession by Sunday evening to the polling stations at which their owners had registered to vote.
Home affairs said last night that last Friday's number had been reduced significantly by yesterday as offices in Gauteng had remained open at the weekend. Gauteng East, including Pretoria, had reduced its backlog by 10000 to 15000 within three days.
Figures obtained yesterday - generated by Deloitte & Touche, which is auditing ID flow - showed 295445 IDs were delivered between May 10 and last Friday, almost 30000 a day.
However, problems continue in some areas, notably Gauteng, where 80431 IDs were still in safes on Friday, and Transkei, where 45504 IDs had not reached their owners despite the issuing of 22302 last week.
The home affairs department claimed a major success in KwaZulu-Natal, where it delivered 62546 IDs last week alone, leaving a backlog of 17733.
Home Affairs Deputy Minister Lindi Sisulu further effort to overcome remaining obstacles.
Sisulu called on those waiting for IDs to collect them at their nearest home affairs offices by Sunday evening. She said there would also be officials at every voting station on Tuesday and Wednesday to issue late documents.