23/10/2025
THOUSANDS OF IDENTITY DOCUMENTS SIT UNCOLLECTED AT HOME AFFAIRS β REVEALED REPORTS DURING THE GERT SIBANDE SPEAKERS FORUM.
Ermelo, Mpumalanga - 27 October 2025.
The Speaker of Council at Gert Sibande District Municipality (GSDM), Cllr Busisiwe Sekhonde, has raised concern over the large number of uncollected identity documents (IDs) across the district and called for urgent collective action to ensure that citizens retrieve their IDs from the Department of Home Affairs.
Cllr Sekhonde made this call during the Speakers Forum held at the GSDM Council Chambers in Ermelo, where the Office of the Speaker convened key stakeholders to assess progress on voter education and public participation programmes ahead of the upcoming local government elections.
The meeting brought together Speakers and Managers from local municipalities, Public Participation Officers, municipal researchers, and representatives from the Department of Home Affairs and the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) to discuss strategies aimed at improving civic participation.
The forum noted with concern that thousands of identity documents remain uncollected from Home Affairs offices across the district, hindering access to services and voter registration efforts. The breakdown of uncollected IDs per municipality includes Bethal and Secunda in the Govan Mbeki Municipality (1 250 and 2 122) respectively, Carolina and Eerstehoek in the Chief Albert Luthuli Municipality (427 and 830 respectively), Ermelo in the Msukaligwa Local Municipality (786), Mkhondo in the Mkhondo Local Municipality (1 087), Standerton in the Lekwa Local Municipality (1 214), and Volksrust in the Dr Pixley Ka Isaka Seme Local Municipality (155).
It was therefore resolved that local municipal Speakers, working closely with ward committees and the Department of Home Affairs, will intensify community outreach programmes and increase visibility in towns and villages to raise awareness and assist residents in collecting their IDs.
Cllr Sekhonde emphasised that uncollected identity documents not only affect access to essential services but also undermine voter participation and democratic inclusion.
βEvery uncollected ID represents a citizen who could be left behind β unable to access services, unable to register to vote, and unable to fully exercise their rights. We are calling on all residents to act now: visit your nearest Home Affairs office and collect your identity document. Your ID is your power.β
Among the attendees was the Speaker of Steve Tshwete Local Municipality, Cllr Thato Mathunyane, who joined the session to learn from the best practices of the Gert Sibande Speakers Forum, which is recognised for its structured and collaborative approach to strengthening governance and public engagement.
This call forms part of the municipalityβs broader efforts to strengthen public participation, promote voter readiness, and support inclusive governance throughout the district. [ENDS]
ISSUED BY
GSDM COMMUNICATIONS.
