DURBAN: The SA First Forum is urging the Department of Home Affairs to take immediate action regarding South African citizens lacking identity documents.
In a letter sent to the department, the forum expressed dismay over the ongoing inability to issue essential documentation that enables citizens to confirm their identity and access necessary services.
According to the organization, approximately 4.4 million South Africans are without identity documents, prompting them to request that Home Affairs provide within 14 days the total number of undocumented citizens and explanations for their status.
Additionally, the forum seeks a detailed plan from the department within 14 days that specifies how it intends to document these 4.4 million individuals within a 90-day timeframe.
The letter indicates that the forum is particularly troubled by the allocation of state resources towards the documentation processes for refugees and asylum seekers, while South Africans continue to lack basic identity documents.
Moreover, the organization is calling for a disclosure from Home Affairs regarding the financial resources spent or anticipated on the asylum and refugee program.
The forum’s demands are supported by constitutional and legislative references, including Section 10 of the Constitution, which upholds the dignity of all individuals, as well as sections from the Births and Deaths Registration Act and the Identification Act.
It asserts that the state is obliged to facilitate the identification of individuals in the population register.
The forum maintains that the ongoing lack of identity documentation for citizens “cannot be allowed to persist indefinitely”.
These requests come as part of broader national discussions surrounding identity documentation, citizenship, immigration issues, and the capacity of Home Affairs to handle application processes adequately.
