South African President Cyril Ramaphosa announced on Sunday evening that his government will take major steps to crack down on illegal immigration, including the creation of an “Intelligent Population Register” that “contains biometric data for every person in the country.”
Ramaphosa said the population register would lay the foundation for a national Digital ID system, replacing the antiquated and fallible paperwork currently in place.
“The Department of Home Affairs will set a date after which the green ID books will not be recognized,” he said.
The green ID books have been standard identification in South Africa since 1986, replacing the apartheid-era population register. The books resemble passports with green covers that are embossed with South Africa’s coat of arms.
Much like a passport, the green book includes personal information such as date of birth, citizenship status, signatures, a photograph, and a 13-digit ID number that is meant to be permanently attached to each resident, similar to Social Security numbers in the United States. The South African ID number was designed to incorporate both the individual’s date of birth and special codes that would confirm the ID number was valid.
South Africa began phasing out the green books in 2013, replacing them with a “smart ID card” that includes a microchip with biometric data, but the green books were still accepted as valid identification until now.
Ramaphosa conceded that the outmoded green books have “enabled identity theft by undocumented immigrants and criminal syndicates,” while existing plans to phase them out by 2029 were not moving quickly enough to combat massive and rapidly-growing fraud.
Ramaphosa said his government will also “end the abuse of the Traffic Registration Number, which foreign nationals require to register or buy vehicles but which is being used as a form of identification.” He directed the South African Department of Transport to overhaul the vehicle registration process within three months.
The South African president acknowledged widespread corruption in his government’s home affairs ministry, with officials selling documents and helping criminal gangs exploit the immigration system. He promised a vigorous crackdown, including termination and criminal prosecution for corrupt officials.
Ramaphosa also vowed to hire another 10,000 inspectors to ensure that South African businesses are not illegally undercutting local wages by hiring undocumented migrants. He said quotas would be established for “employment of foreign nationals in any economic sector or occupational category.”
On Monday, Ramaphosa published an article in his weekly newsletter explaining that the new identification systems were an effort to address legitimate criticisms of South Africa’s loose border controls.
“We are responding to real concerns that communities have about the effects that unchecked illegal immigration has on jobs and economic opportunities,” he said.
Ramaphosa stressed that most foreigners living in South Africa were not criminals, and he cautioned against allowing criticism of migration issues to devolve into racial intolerance and violence. He asked the public to be patient while his administration works on solutions that would be consistent with the national constitution and the rule of law.
“The task of managing migration belongs to all of us,” he said.
Hellbound and Down 