South Africa: Relief for over 700,000 citizens as high court declares ID blocking by Home Affairs unconstitutional
Published: 17/Jan/2024
Source: Daily Maverick (South Africa)
By Lerato Mutsila
The Department of Home Affairs is no longer allowed to block South African IDs arbitrarily, cutting citizens and residents off from essential services, following a landmark judgment from the Gauteng high court. Lawyers for Human Rights has welcomed the ruling.
In a landmark judgment that has been years in the making, the Gauteng high court in Pretoria has declared that the Department of Home Affairs’ (DHA) practice of blocking South African IDs is an unjust and irregular administrative action that is inconsistent with the South African Constitution.