Switch to smart ID before criminals steal your life, Schreiber warns South Africans

Minister of Home Affairs Leon Schreiber has sent a warning to South Africans: you are at a higher risk of identity fraud and theft if you do not switch to a smart identity (ID) card.

“Research suggests that SA’s green ID book is the most defrauded in Africa, with identity theft costing our country north of R1.5 billion per year.

“If you want to fight fraud and corruption while protecting your family, switch to a smart ID card before criminals steal your life,” Schreiber posted on X (formerly Twitter) on Monday afternoon.

Home Affairs goes on an ID-blocking spree

Schreiber’s warning comes as the department disqualifies identity documents (IDs) it flags as fraudulent.

Last Friday, Home Affairs announced that it would be blocking dodgy IDs, urging South Africans to provide reasons within 30 days why their IDs should not be permanently cancelled.

“Through this 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 documents were originally blocked as far back as 2005 for a range of reasons, including because the biometric system flagged the documents as duplicates, held by illegal immigrants or because the ID holder had passed away,” Home Affairs said.

Schreiber hits the ground running

Schreiber has been on an aggressive clean-up drive of Home Affairs since being appointed minister as part of President Cyril Ramaphosa’s so-called government of national unity.

Since joining Ramaphosa’s executive on 30 June 2024, Schreiber has – amonng other initiatives – moved to alleviate the country’s visa backlog, saying it was “abnormal“.

Last month, the backlog was cut by 92,886 applications out of a total of 306,042.

And another of his first ministerial acts was to extend the concession for foreign nationals awaiting the outcomes of their visa, waiver and appeal applications, as reported by Business Tech. Home Affairs gave long-term visa holders legal permission to remain in South Africa until 31 December 2024.

Chidimma Adetshina saga

And recently Home Affairs was drawn into the realm of beauty pageants, when doubt was cast over a Miss South Africa finalist’s citizenship.

Later, the Department of Home Affairs revealed Chidimma Adetshina’s mother may have committed fraud and identity theft to register her birth. It has since instituted an investigation.

“Adetshina could not have participated in the alleged unlawful actions of her mother as she was an infant at the time when the activities took place in 2001,” the department clarified.

Do you still own a green ID book? Why are you holding onto it?

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