Pretoria: Individuals whose identity documents (IDs) were blocked prior to November 2022, have until 10 July 2026 to submit representations to unblocking their documents, the Department of Home Affairs said. In a statement on Monday, the department announced the launch of a nationwide campaign to assist these individuals and ensure the integrity of the National Population Register.

According to South African Government News Agency, the department is inviting affected individuals to submit representations explaining why their identity numbers should be unblocked, in accordance with section 3 of the Promotion of Administrative Justice Act (PAJA) of 2000. It emphasized its commitment to providing all affected individuals a fair opportunity to present their case.

Individuals with blocked IDs are required to visit any Home Affairs office, excluding refugee reception centres and banks, to submit representations by the deadline of 10 July 2026. The department warned that failure to do so may result in the cancellation of the affected identity numbers after the administrative process is completed.

The IDs were blocked under Section 19 of the Identification Act (Act no.68 of 1997) for reasons such as duplicate classifications or cases requiring status verification. To date, 2,202,368 identity numbers have been unblocked. Affected individuals must appear in person at any Home Affairs front office to provide both written and oral representations.

Applicants are encouraged to bring supporting documentation, including original birth certificates, clinic cards, hospital registers, parents' identity documents, primary school extracts, house permits, letters from traditional authorities, affidavits from parents or original informants, and any other documents that can assist in confirming identity, citizenship, or legal status.

As part of its investigation, the department may cancel identity documents or records if they were issued to ineligible individuals, contain incorrect personal details, were obtained through fraudulent means, or have been manipulated unlawfully. The department urged all affected individuals to respond promptly and use this opportunity to regularize their status.