Botswana To Upgrade Automated Fingerprint Identification System
Pini Bothoko | Monday May 8, 2017 15:58
Mayhew stated that Safran identity and security through its subsidiary Morpho South Africa, has won a contract with the Government of Botswana to upgrade the legacy Automated Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS) platforms into a single, multi-biometric and multi-use new-generation platform.
The Botswana Police Service (BPS) has worked with Safran Identity & Security since 1998.
“The future multi-biometric system will use fingerprint and facial recognition to serve all the identification requirements of various government departments. It is the first step for the rationalisation of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) systems in the Government of Botswana,” said Mayhew.
Mayhew said Safran claims this will be one of the most advanced and complex systems ever delivered in terms of integration with multiple systems and the segregation and security of the data of each department. Morpho South Africa will also deliver numerous livescan and cardscan stations as well as mobile handheld devices and will also be in charge of the maintenance of the system for three years.
He said the managing director for Morpho South Africa, Paul Jeremias stated that the contract strengthens a long-term partnership with the Botswana government and they have proven their capacity to provide critical products and maintenance.
Mayhew added that they are now going to furnish a total integration of multiple biometric technologies in a single platform. Not only is it more cost-effective, but also it is a vital facilitator of increasing national security and enabling e-Government services.
Mayhew said last month, Safran announced that it has been selected by the Sultanate of Oman to consolidate the country’s civil identity, public security, border control and criminal identification systems in a single multi-biometric platform. Reached for a comment the Botswana Police Service (BPS)’s spokesperson Assistant Police Commissioner Witness Boseja could not confirm if they have acquired the AFIS system from Safran identity and security but rather declined to comment further on questions that were raised by this publication.
Boseja said the use of fingerprints and facial recognition is the issue of national security, hence he could not disclose any information concerning their use by the BPS.
“Yes, it’s common for such equipments to be used by the police. I cannot at this point disclose which company we have a contract with, at what cost and how we are going to benefit from the system because disclosing such information to the public can be risky to national security,” Boseja said.