The Minister of Home Affairs, Leon Schreiber, says the department is working to resolve cases of duplicate identity document numbers on the National Population Register, although it does not yet have an exact count of how many exist.
His remarks were made in response to a parliamentary question from ActionSA Member of Parliament Lerato Ngobeni, who sought clarity on the number of duplicate and missing ID numbers and the steps being taken to prevent future cases.
In a written reply, Schreiber said the department is running a nationwide effort to identify and remove duplicate ID numbers. This forms part of a broader digital transformation programme that includes the use of enhanced digital verification systems.
He emphasised that there are no missing or lost ID numbers in the register, saying that each number remains uniquely assigned to an individual.
Ngobeni had also questioned the reasons behind the creation of duplicate IDs and whether the department plans to amend the Identification Act of 1997 to strengthen the system.
Schreiber explained that duplicate identity numbers can arise from several situations, including identity theft, false birth registrations, multiple people using the same number and individuals being issued more than one number due to repeated registrations. He noted that the department is actively addressing these issues.
To help eliminate duplicate records, Home Affairs is introducing a new digital verification function that uses facial recognition technology.
The system will verify a person’s biometric data against the entire population register rather than only their individual profile. This approach forms the basis of the Digital ID system currently in development.
On the legislative front, Schreiber confirmed that the department is updating its laws to align with constitutional and administrative requirements.
This includes work on the Digital ID Policy and the National Identification Registration Bill, which form part of Home Affairs’ wider digital transformation plans
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