PRETORIA — The Department of Home Affairs is intensifying its campaign against identity document fraud by urging individuals with blocked IDs to come forward and justify why their IDs should not be permanently cancelled.

According to South African Government News Agency, the new initiative requires those with blocked identity books and cards to submit written reasons within 30 days to avoid cancellation. These communications should be directed to Sylvia.Phasha@dha.gov.za. The Department is also launching a social media campaign to inform the public and encourage submissions, aiming to address the longstanding issue of incorrectly blocked IDs and curtail the spread of fraudulent documents.

The identity documents in question were blocked as early as 2005 for various reasons, including being flagged as duplicates, possessed by illegal immigrants, or belonging to deceased individuals. This new effort seeks to rectify errors in blocking legitimate IDs while ensuring that those held by unauthorized persons are cancelled. This action follows a court order earlier this year mandating the Department to implement a fair administrative process to distinguish between wrongful blocks and legitimate security concerns.

Minister Schreiber emphasized the dual benefits of the campaign: rectifying past mistakes and reinforcing the commitment to fighting fraud. "This opportunity is crucial for conducting a fair and equitable process to unblock IDs that have been wrongfully impeded, while also affirming our resolve to address fraud aggressively," he stated.