HOME Affairs Minister Mangosuthu Buthelezi launched a new R800-million national identification system on Tuesday night. Buthelezi said the multi-purpose “smart cards” will replace the bar-coded identity documents and regulate welfare grants and other State payouts. The new system, expected to come into effect in September next year, will help combat the illegal use of identity documents, he said. The smart card would be fitted with a microchip that will be able to instantly access the holder’s fingerprint, he said.