DA lodges complaint with the Public Protector for the discrimination of naturalised citizens by Home Affairs
7 July 2023
The DA has today lodged an official complaint with the acting Public Protector, Advocate Kholeka Gcaleka, requesting that she investigates the continued failure by the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) to issue Smart ID cards to naturalised South African citizens.
The DHA introduced the Smart ID cards in 2013. Priority for the issuance of these new identity cards was given to naturally born South Africans to avoid creating a backlog. Ten years later, the DHA has still not extended the privilege of acquiring Smart ID cards to naturalised citizens (who still hold the old green ID book).
Most DHA offices are now only able to issue Smart ID cards and have discontinued the production of the green ID book. This means that, should a naturalised citizen wish to obtain a green ID book (since it is the only format of ID that they can acquire), they are forced to travel long distances to the few DHA offices that still print the green ID book.
This is a serious inconvenience and an infringement on the rights of individuals who are South African citizens in every aspect of our citizenship laws. The DHA is guilty of reducing naturalised individuals to second class citizens.