Are you part of the 'green ID book pensioners club'? Trend has social media chuckling

Green ID books caught some smoke on social media recently after smart cardholders poked fun at “senior citizens” who still had them. 

On Monday, social media users who fell under the “green ID book pensioners club” were “attacked” for still holding on to the paper book instead of moving with the times and getting a smart ID card. 

The jokes about the green ID books saw it topping the social media trending list. 

In 2017, the department of home affairs clarified that the green bar-coded ID book would remain a legal form of identification until the live capture system was rolled out to all home affairs offices to enable citizens to apply for smart ID cards at their nearest offices. 

“The department has developed a plan to systematically phase out the green ID book and ultimately consolidate the restoration, common citizenship, identity and dignity to South Africans,” the department said at the time. 

In 2018, TimesLIVE reported that home affairs director-general Mkuseli Apleni shut down rumours circulated on social media that the green bar-coded ID would expire in March 2019.

“As you indeed understand‚ these false messages are putting our offices under extreme pressure‚ unduly‚ as people rush there in their numbers to get smart ID cards,” said Apleni.

“There is no expiry date for the green bar-coded ID. It is valid until the time we sort out everything we need to deal with [in issuing the smart ID].”

Taking to the comments section, many shared why they were not ready to let go of their old ID books. 

Here is a snapshot of some of the hilarious reactions: