The UCT Children’s Institute and parents took the Department of Home Affairs to the Western Cape High Court on 10 June 2026 seeking a plan to clear years of delays in late birth registrations.
On Wednesday the applicants argued before Judge Ncumisa Mayosi that systemic problems at Home Affairs have created a large backlog of undecided late registration of birth applications. They said years of waiting leave children without identity documents and block access to education, healthcare and social grants. Advocate Daniel Linde told the court the applicants are among the most vulnerable in society. The department responded that it has reduced undecided applications to 33,386 as of May 2025 and that the number will never reach zero under the law. The hearing also heard evidence of a fire at the Germiston office in August 2025 that destroyed paper files, forcing some families to restart the process. The Children’s Institute disputes the department’s backlog figures and seeks a court order for a transparent plan to resolve current and future applications.
