Persons with blocked IDs are often provided a small piece of paper listing the documents they must submit in order to confirm their South African citizenship: ‘a handwritten birth certificate, baptismal certificate, primary school letter, clinic card (immunisation card), birth record from the hospital, parents identity documents, death certificates, and letter from the chief.’ Those unable to meet Department requirements to prove that they are the genuine citizens remain with their IDs blocked – often without being given any reason or being advised of their right to appeal the decision. Local offices exercise discretion concerning the amount and type of evidence that is accepted as proof of one’s claim. Some persons are turned away repeatedly and asked for more proof, despite the client having providing all required documents; while others are told they cannot be helped unless they produce a specific document that they cannot access. To assist a victim of ID fraud or duplication, a good first step is finding out what proof the client has of his or her South African nationality or permanent residence. Gather all available proof and write a letter to Home Affairs (Deputy Director-General for Civic Services, Director-General, and office managers of the local offices in question) requesting the written reasons for the decision to block the ID and all evidence against the client. The letter should contain the following: • • • • • • Client’s personal history (birth place, parents’ nationalities, how he/she acquired citizenship or permanent residence) How client discovered ID was blocked – including Home Affairs office approached, which dates, what client was told on each occasion by DHA officials Summary of attempts client has made to resolve the issue Summary of ways in which client has been impacted (cannot register birth, use bank account, etc.) Annexure of supporting documents Request for written reasons for ID blockage and any and all evidence considered in blocking ID. Finding a solution for clients: immigration status and citizenship were invalidated ahead of the May 2014 general elections, because they were not accounted for by owners.106 LHR has discovered that finding a contact in Head Office of DHA to whom you can send your letter and annexures is an effective way of having the client’s background investigated and the ID blockage removed. It is at Head Office – in the duplicate ID section – where the ID will be released following an investigation that is generally conducted by the Immigration Inspectorate. 106 See The Citizen news article ‘Thousands of duplicate SA ID documents invalidated’ available at http://citizen.co.za/130648/thousands-of-duplicate-said-documents-invalidated/ (accessed 1 December 2014). Promoting citizenship and preventing statelessness in South Africa: A practitioner’s guide 61