Protesters with blocked IDs descend on Home Affairs, demand their identities back

"Align With the ANC": Home Affairs Accused of Political Extortion Over Blocked IDs as Hundreds Protest

TSHWANE – Hundreds of South Africans, rendered non-citizens in their own country, have descended on the Department of Home Affairs head offices, alleging that officials demanded they politically "align with the ANC" in exchange for having their constitutionally-blocked identity documents restored.

The protest, organized by the civil society group Soul of Africa, saw desperate citizens—many of whom traveled overnight from rural provinces and slept on the streets—holding up their IDs in a powerful plea, declaring "I do exist."

This crisis, which a 2024 High Court ruling declared unconstitutional, has left an estimated 750,000 people in administrative limbo, unable to work, access social grants, open bank accounts, or register their children for school.

"They Said We Must Align With the ANC"

The most explosive allegation from the protest came from Soul of Africa chairperson, Bongani, who stated that their attempts to collaborate with Home Affairs to resolve the crisis were met with a political ultimatum.

"And you know what they said to us? Instead of assisting us, they want us as Soul of Africa to align with certain political parties," he told reporters. "And we're not even scared to say that. They said we must align with ANC. We're not going to align with anyone because we are a civic movement. We are here to assist the marginalized people."

This claim of political gatekeeping has intensified the scandal, suggesting that the restoration of fundamental constitutional rights is being used as a bargaining chip for political allegiance.

A Life Without an Identity: "Their Identity is Their Life"

The human impact of the blocked ID crisis is devastating. Protesters shared harrowing accounts of being stripped of their dignity and means to survive.

• Job Loss: Many have lost their jobs after being unable to produce a valid ID for employment verification.
• Denied Grants: Elderly citizens cannot apply for SASSA grants, and parents cannot register their children for child support grants.
• Education Blocked: Young adults are unable to enroll in universities or further their studies because their parents' IDs are blocked, preventing the necessary financial and registration processes.
• Economic Paralysis: Without a bank account or the ability to enter into formal agreements, individuals are pushed deeper into poverty.

"The identity is their life. Without the identity, they don't have life," Bongani stated. "So we are pleading to Home Affairs: give these people their life back."

A Decade of Failure and a Court Deadline Ignored

The High Court in Pretoria ruled in 2024 that Home Affairs' practice of blocking IDs without due process, investigation, or notice was unlawful and unconstitutional. The court gave the department 24 months to unblock the documents.

However, with only 15 months remaining on the court's deadline, protesters and advocates allege a "deliberate delay." At its peak, the crisis affected 2.5 million people. While Home Affairs has cleared a significant number, the remaining 750,000 represent the most complex cases, often involving marginalized citizens from deep rural areas who lack the resources to navigate the bureaucratic maze.

Home Affairs has previously cited "system failure" and the challenge of locating affected individuals as the reason for the delays. Soul of Africa claims they attempted to help by gathering data on thousands of affected people in Limpopo, but after a small test batch, the department disengaged.

The protest in Tshwane is a desperate, last-resort action for people who feel their own government has erased them. As one organiser put it, the state's inaction is breeding a future of "anarchy" and crime, as a generation of young people, children of the ID-blocked, are left with no prospects and no way to participate legally in the economy.