There has been a protracted legal battle over the matter since the Pretoria High Court handed down judgment in January 2024.
Nearly two years after the Pretoria High Court ruled that the mass blocking of IDs by the Department of Home Affairs was unconstitutional, civic movement Soil of Africa (SOA) has taken to the streets of Tshwane, demanding urgent action.
The group, led by chairperson Bongani Ramontja, is marching to “shut down” the Department of Home Affairs offices, accusing it of ignoring the 2024 court order that instructed it to restore thousands of citizens’ identity documents.
WATCH: ‘I cannot find work’
Among those gathered outside the Tshwane offices, Christmas Mathebula told The Citizen his ID was blocked in 2016 and he has been struggling ever since.
“I am here because my ID was blocked and I was not even informed why. My life is at a standstill; I cannot do anything because of this and I cannot even find work. They have not told me what the problem is and when I ask, they say all these big words which are confusing,” he said in Isizulu.
Speaking to The Citizen in SiSwati, Petros Mabuza said his life has been turned upside down since his ID was blocked.
“I had an ID that I used to vote with in the first democratic elections,” he said.
“But now I am struggling to vote because I am told that my ID is blocked. I tried claiming insurance after one of my relatives died, but I could not because I was told that my ID number does not exist. I have approached Legal Wise, but they also cannot help me.”
WATCH: Soil of Africa pickets outside the Department of Home Affairs in Pretoria on Monday to demand that the department unblocks citizens’ identity documents. Video: Nigel Sibanda/The Citizen pic.twitter.com/VQiRawO2KX
— The Citizen News (@TheCitizen_News) October 6, 2025
‘We’ve been here since yesterday’
Ramontja said the group represents people who have suffered for years due to the unlawful blocking of their IDs. This problem, he added, continues to rob them of their rights and dignity.
“We’ve been here ever since yesterday. There are more than a thousand people here, crying because their IDs have been blocked, some for 18 years now,” he told broadcaster Newzroom Afrika.
He said the crisis has rippled across generations.
“Some of these people’s children can’t go to school or university because their parents’ IDs are blocked,” he said.
“We’re sitting on 750 000 people whose IDs are blocked and if you count their children, that’s more than 1.2 million people who can’t do anything with their lives.”
Theelma Mabaso said she never had a birth certificate, nor an ID her entire life. She is now a mother and her child is also without a birth certificate because of her struggles.
The Department of Home Affairs had not responded to The Citizen’s request for comment by the time of publication.
ALSO READ: ID blocked? You have 30 days to explain why it shouldn’t be cancelled
Court victory, but no relief
A protracted legal battle has been ongoing over the matter since the Pretoria High Court handed down its judgment in January 2024, with the department accused of dragging its feet.
Home Affairs said the process of unblocking the IDs was ongoing.
Ramontja said his organisation had repeatedly engaged with Home Affairs officials, offering assistance to trace affected people, but was met with bureaucratic resistance.
“We went out ourselves and brought them a list of more than 10 000 to 15 000 people. We even gave them the first 50 names they requested, but they never came back to us.”
The movement reportedly met with Home Affairs in July, where it was apparently agreed that they would send volunteers to speed up the unblocking of IDs.
“Home Affairs has asked us to send at least 50 of our volunteers to them, as they are short-staffed, so that they can help in accelerating the process of unblocking the said IDs. These volunteers will present themselves to Home Affairs on Friday.
“We must be patient with the Department of Home Affairs,” Ramontja told Tshwane Talk at the time.
To comply with court ruling
SOA said it will continue its demonstrations until the department takes visible steps to restore all affected IDs and comply fully with the court ruling.
NOW READ: Tshwane roads to be affected by march to Home Affairs on Monday
