Soon to be rolled out across the country is the ability for banks to verify ID books against fingerprints by being allowed access to the Department of Home Affairs National Identification System (HANIS).
At the launch of this initiative, Home Affairs Minister Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma said; “….the launch of the Online Fingerprint Verification System by the Home Affairs Department and SABRIC (South African Banking Risk Information Centre) will lay a basis for us jointly to deal a massive and decisive blow against acts of fraud and corruption that have cost our financial and banking institutions millions if not billions of rand.
“We acknowledge that acts of corruption and fraud will not disappear overnight but will most certainly lay a basis for a major offensive in our national effort to push back the frontiers of fraud and corruption. We can only succeed to the extent to which we receive co-operation from the broader citizenry.
“In launching the Online Fingerprint Verification System, Home Affairs and SABRIC indeed contribute to a positive climate in which our citizenry are and feel safe in the knowledge that their savings, investments, deposits and hard-won earnings are indeed secure in the hands of the various banking institutions – FNB, ABSA, Nedbank, Standard Bank, Mercantile Bank, African Bank and Capitec Bank.”
Absa ran the pilot project in seven branches and identified seven attempts at opening a bank account by persons using the ID Books of deceased persons.
Personally I am not too sure of the privacy ramifications of this partnership between the banks and government – as in every such partnership one always wonders if the motivations are really what they appear? Clearly the one party wishes to protect their financial interest whilst the other is attempting to close the stable door after the horse has bolted.
Do I worry too much? Is this another step along the road to a Big Brother Nanny state that exercises perfect control over it’s citizens?
Put my mind at ease in the comments box below please.
