THE ministry of home affairs will extend identity document (ID) registration services to Saturdays, with selected offices in the four regions expected to open outside normal working days.
The initiative will initially target selected offices in Mbabane, Manzini, Nhlangano and Siteki to improve access to ID registration services for members of the public who may struggle to visit the offices during the week.
Communications Officer in the ministry Mlandvo Dlamini said the move was aimed at making it easier for people to register for IDs and access essential government services that require valid identification.
“Next week we will be doing an activity for people to be able to register for IDs in the four regions,” Dlamini said.
He said the ministry had made arrangements to provide registration services on Saturdays, with the programme expected to begin as early as this weekend.
Dlamini said the ministry would assess the initiative after its initial implementation and consider extending the programme to additional days.
He clarified that only selected offices would operate under the arrangement, with members of the public expected to be informed about the participating offices and operating dates as the week progresses.
The initiative is expected to assist people who are unable to visit home affairs offices during normal working hours because of work, school and other commitments.
A valid ID is required to access various public and private services, including government services, banking and other transactions where proof of identity is required.
Dlamini urged members of the public to follow announcements from the ministry for information on the participating offices and dates.
He said the initiative formed part of the ministry’s efforts to improve service delivery and make essential identification services more accessible to the public.
