Overview
- Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber handed the Smart ID to !Khūboab Oedasoua Lawrence in Stellenbosch on 26 February.
- Within four weeks, the department upgraded systems to accept special characters, extending support to birth certificates, Smart IDs and passports.
- The director-general will circulate guidance to all offices, with technical teams on standby to adjust additional characters if required.
- The fix followed January reporting by the Weekend Argus, after which the minister acted on a media enquiry to resolve the case.
- The family’s 18‑year struggle since a 2007 registration attempt spurred a result hailed by Khoi‑San leaders, as Schreiber invited others facing similar issues to come forward and cited the national motto using similar characters.