• • • • • • • People with blocked ID numbers People born abroad to South African citizens People born in South Africa to citizens ¤ Births to undocumented South Africans ¤ Late registration of birth applicants ¤ Births to a single father and/or undocumented mother ¤ Births outside a registered hospital or clinic People who lost or renounced South African citizenship People born in South Africa to permanent residents Citizenship in cases of doubt People born in South Africa and stateless 5.1.1 People with blocked ID numbers It can often be more difficult for a citizen who had an ID issued in the past but now has a blocked ID number to get a new ID document than a citizen who has never had an ID to get his first one. The biggest reason: suspected fraud. For many reasons, the South African National Population Register has been compromised over the years.101 One crisis is the phenomenon of duplicate or multiple IDs, which occur when one person has more than one ID number assigned to them102 or where more than one person shares one ID number. Such ID numbers have been ‘blocked’ on the Home Affairs system. This phenomenon is largely a result of corruption, fraud and administrative mistakes. According to Home Affairs statements in 101 In a parliamentary briefing, the Director-General explained ‘... the legacy of apartheid with relevance to duplicate documents, and the difficulties that arisen when trying to amalgamate the apartheid system's various population registers. Prior to amalgamation, reference book holders were allocated with identity numbers without their knowledge. A pre-printed list of ID numbers was utilised to allocate IDs. Consequently people applied without using those allocated ID numbers or the pre-printed numbers were misallocated amongst the citizens resulting in duplicates. No fingerprints were taken on allocation of the ID number and there was no verification of fingerprints. In the late Eighties, electronic birth certificates with an identity number were introduced, without fingerprints. Fingerprints were kept manually whilst the identity numbers were kept in the National Population Register.’ Parliamentary Monitoring Group ‘Duplicate IDs, Uncollected IDs, Residence Permit backlog, Initial Permit Transformation Plan: progress report by Home Affairs’ (14 August 2012) available at http://www.pmg.org.za/report/20120814-briefing-departmenthome-affairs-status-duplicate-documents-uncollect (accessed 3 October 2013). Another crisis occurred when fingerprints eventually were put into the electronic system. Not all fingerprints taken were of proper quality to enter into the system. Thus, ID numbers were identified that ‘did not have corresponding fingerprints which left us vulnerable to identity fraud and theft.’ See South African Government Information, ‘Transcript copy: Briefing by Director-General Mkuseli Apleni regarding progress of the National Population Registration campaign and new tariffs’, available at http://www.info.gov.za/ speech/DynamicAction?pageid=461&sid=17279&tid=30731 (accessed 3 October 2013). 102 This can occur where a person is registered under the incorrect date of birth, applies to amend the date of birth, and receives a new ID number without the first being cancelled. Promoting citizenship and preventing statelessness in South Africa: A practitioner’s guide Finding a solution for clients: immigration status and citizenship This section will cover the following categories: 59