South Africans buying a prepay SIM card from July 1st, 2009 will need to provide proof of identity to the retailer, under new legislation that has come into effect. The Regulation of Interception of Communications and Provision of Communication-Related Information Act (RICA) requires mobile operators Cell C, MTN, and Vodacom, as well as other service providers such as Nashua Mobile, Autopage, and Virgin Mobile South Africa, to register on secure databases the identities, physical address, and cellular phone numbers of new and existing customers who buy SIM cards.

Existing customers will have 18 months from the implementation date to register both their Prepaid and Contract SIM cards. SIM cards of subscribers that fail to comply with RICA within the specified time period will be deactivated.

“The bulk of the Act was implemented in 2005, and the cellphone operators are already assisting the law enforcement agencies, to a great extent, in performing their duties,” says Shenanda Janse van Rensburg, Cell C’s Executive Head, Corporate Communications. “However, the implementation of sections 40 and 62 which require the registration of subscribers, was deferred to finalise a more efficient and practical solution from the original paper based system and it is this amended process requiring face-to-face verification that is becoming effective on 1 July 2009.”

Source(s):
cellular-news.com