A local Muslim woman says her religious rights were violated at the Potchefstroom traffic department after officials allegedly ordered her to remove her hijab (religious headwear) for a driver’s licence photo.

Lizelle Habibah Babo has launched a formal complaint with the traffic department and escalated the matter to the Human Rights Commission following the incident earlier this month.

The incident took place on May 4 at around 9:10. Lizelle, who was alone with her two-year-old toddler, claims a female official instructed that she had to prove that she is Muslim with a church letter.

“The attending female official informed me that before she would process anything, I had to ‘remove that,’ referring to my hijab. I politely informed her that this was not legally necessary, as the law permits religious headwear for licence identity photographs. Her response was openly hostile; she falsely claimed that the ‘Act’ requires its removal,” explained Lizelle.

When Lizelle asked to speak to a supervisor, the supervisor backed the official.

“In a Setswana conversation, she referred to my hijab as a ‘culture.’ I corrected her, stating it is my religion, yet they remained obstinate.”

Lizelle returned the following Monday, accompanied by her husband. This time, she was helped immediately, which left her feeling that the department was avoiding accountability. According to Lizelle, the official stated she would “give me what I want,” while deflecting blame by claiming that management required the rule.

“Why was I fiercely challenged on the law and denied service when I was a woman alone with a toddler, yet the moment I arrived with a male witness, the story changed, and I was accommodated?” questioned Lizelle.

Under South African law, headgear is permitted in official photographs for religious or medical reasons, provided the facial features remain clearly visible. Photos provided to the Herald confirm that Lizelle’s hijab did not cover her face.

The Jamiatul Ulama South Africa North West Branch Council of Muslim Theologians has strongly condemned the incident and lodged a formal complaint.

The council stated that the wearing of Muslim headgear is routinely accommodated on official South African documents like passports and ID books.

“The apparent practice at the Potchefstroom DLTC of compelling Muslim women either to remove their headgear or produce letters from religious bodies appears to amount to a systemic and institutionalised discriminatory practice that is unlawful and unconstitutional,” stated the Jamiatul Ulama in its letter to the traffic department.

The Jamiatul Ulama also requested that a formal written investigation be conducted into the conduct of the officials involved in this matter, alongside a formal written apology to Lizelle for the “humiliation, profiling, intimidation, and discriminatory treatment she endured.”

At the time of publication, Lizelle had received no response to her letters. A media enquiry was sent to the traffic department via the JB Marks Local Municipality spokesperson on May 21, but no reply has been received at the time of publication.