Home Affairs Director General Tommy Makhode said that the decision was taken to cancel ID documents flagged for the following reasons:
• ID documents or cards issued to people whose names are not required in section 5 of the Identification Act to be included in the population register.
• ID documents or cards that do not correctly reflect the particulars to whom they were issued.
• ID documents or cards that were fraudulently obtained—in that false statements were made, and false information was provided at the time of application for or issuance of the documents.
• ID documents or cards that were forged—in that the documents or cards that were lawfully issued to other people were stolen or otherwise unlawfully obtained or altered to reflect the names or images of someone who is not included in the population register.
The department did not specify how many of these documents would be affected, but said that any person who is affected by the cancellation of their IDs has 30 days from the publication of the gazette (ie, until 16 September) to provide a written response with reasons why their ID documents or cards should not be cancelled.
“Should I not receive the requested written reasons or representations, I shall proceed to cancel the identity document or card accordingly,” Makhode said.
Through the move, Home Affairs aims to both resolve the decades-old issue of wrongfully blocked IDs while reducing the number of fraudulent documents in circulation.
Some of the IDs were originally blocked as far back as 2005 for a range of reasons. This includes the biometric system flagging the documents as duplicates, held by illegal immigrants, or because the ID holder had passed away.
By providing the public with an opportunity to make representations, the department intends to end the inconvenience caused by the block to holders of legitimate IDs, while cancelling IDs held by unauthorised persons.
The gazetting of this measure is also in furtherance of compliance with a court order handed down earlier this year, which required the department to undertake a fair administrative process to differentiate between IDs that have been wrongfully blocked and IDs that represent genuine security threats.
The notice follows a high-profile scandal around the Miss South Africa beauty pageant, where the department discovered prima facie evidence that the mother of one of the contestants had illegally obtained identification documents.
It also comes amid a renewed clampdown on fraud and illegal operations from within Home Affairs, where syndicates have been found to be colluding with insiders to falsify documents for people who would not otherwise qualify for them.
In August, a 12-year sentence was handed down against one of the operatives in this illicit trade, with new Home Affairs minister Dr Leon Schreiber signalling that the department is focusing on rooting out corruption.
“(The) sentence must inaugurate a new culture of zero-tolerance towards corruption. The fight against corruption in this department, as demonstrated by the serious nature of the issues raised in this case, is particularly urgent given that Home Affairs sits at the heart of our national security apparatus,” Schreiber said.
Home Affairs has been struggling for years to effectively root out corrupt operations and restore faith in the security of South Africa’s passports and ID documents.
Several countries and regions—most recently Ireland—have shut down easy-access travel to their borders due to the security concerns present, including many foreigners travelling on fraudulent South African documentation.
The problems also lie within South Africa’s borders, however.
At the end of July, 95 Libyans were arrested in White River, having entered the country with visas that were acquired through misrepresentation in Tunisia.
Home Affairs subsequently cancelled the irregularly acquired visas, and is in the process of deporting the foreign nationals.
“One operation at a time, we must restore the rule of law. Respect our laws, or there will be consequences,” said Schreiber.