Understandably upbeat about modernizing a critical government service, Dr Schreiber ticks off the advantages of digital ID: curbing ID fraud and corruption, reducing administrative bottlenecks, user convenience as a centralized store of birth and marriage certificates, and enabling safe authentication for visa travel – all accessible on your smartphone.

However, there is a downside or a dark side to digital ID. Smartphones are vulnerable to hacking and cyber-attacks on internet servers, politely called glitches, which may result in data breaches. In such circumstances, one might have no means of proving ID.

Nonetheless, the Minister is aware of those possibilities and comfortingly states that having a digital ID is purely optional. One’s smart card ID will remain valid. In any case, a digital credential will have only a five-year validity period before it needs to be refreshed.

What Dr Schreiber does not state is that the digital ID portal is an extension of control by the government. Eventually, in time, the objective is to make digital ID mandatory. What Dr Schreiber does not point out is that digital ID enables the government to track significant aspects of one’s life – travel, shopping, health. As such, it is an encroachment on civil liberties because it breaches privacy and enables the government to place one under surveillance.

History shows that the aim of unchallenged governments is to consolidate their power and control over populations. To entrust the irresponsible, unaccountable ANC government with trust in not abusing the digital ID system for its nefarious political ends, is not a smart idea. The recent Afrobarometer findings show that the public trust deficit in government is in excess of 70%.

It has also always been obvious that the aim of the ANC, MK, and EFF is to realize all the policies of the Marxist Freedom Charter, which is why they favour China’s undemocratic, authoritarian population control. Digital ID enables censorship of opposition to a prescribed narrative and the entrenchment of power. Moreover, centralisation has long been recognised as the key lever in the imposition of Marxist tyranny.

The smartphone is undoubtedly an indispensable device in the 21^st century. But it is already serving as a means of violating freedoms. The EU has passed Chat control legislation, which empowers platforms to scan private messages and red-flag ones that challenge or oppose official narratives. Such violations can result in steep fines. As such, the Orwellian reality of Big Brother and Newspeak is already bearing down on Europe.

Notwithstanding Dr Schreiber’s good intentions, the following excerpt from Shakespeare’s Macbeth (Act 1, Scene 3, line 123) is most pertinent regarding truth and trust: “Oftentimes, to win us to our own harm, the instruments of darkness tell truths, win us with honest trifles to betray us in deepest consequence.”

The post Digital ID Warrants Critical Appraisal appeared first on Alt News Network.

Hostility towards Whites purely due to their skin pigmentation has skyrocketed in a post-Apartheid, post-Mandela age. The World once looked at our country as the blueprint for a perfectly synchronized, non-racial rainbow society, but as the Zuma-led ANC entered our economic timeline, everything that was once hoped for and fought for came crashing down and swirling down the drain of ‘redress and revenge’. Race laws, quotas in sport, BBBEE, a hunger for land reform, nepotism and state capture had become stock standard everyday practice for the pro-transformation tenderpreneurs. Throw into this mix the aggressive pushback from the red berets and Malema’s insatiable appetite for ‘cutting the throats of Whiteness’ and ‘killing the Boer’, as his song suggests, and you have a cesspool of wanton race politics constructed by hatred and a pigmentation obsession.

For over 20 years now, White people have had to endure the constant reminders from our Black brothers and sisters how wrong Apartheid was and how much hurt our forefathers had caused, and I’m starting to wonder what the sum total of White hatred has ultimately added up to, and how much longer White minority groups can endure the onslaught? From thousands of proudly South African, Springbok-loving, biltong-eating Mango-groovin Whities leaving our shores for the cold, volcanic island of the New Zealand Maori with its long white cloud, or the similarly warm blue oceans of Australia, with its kangaroos, very different accents and similar multi-cultural Mish-mash of Asians, Afrikaners, Chinese, Muslim and other interesting people, to farmers having to pack up to go and farm in the USA or Europe, leaving behind decades of South African dreams and aspirations, pushed out by racist legislation and ANC cadre-corruption.

Whether your son had been left out of a particular rugby team due to race politics or affirmative action, or your job application was unsuccessful despite your obvious qualifications for the role that had been advertised, if you are White and have been living in SA for long enough, you would have felt the sting of revenge and anger at some point, driven by an ANC government and kept alive by millions of ignorant voters who just keep voting for the most inept, greedy government to continue pounding whites into the ground and literally edging them out of society, one race law at a time, but not only that, but hurting their own people through rising unemployment, ridiculous cost of living and making them depend on a social grant which would inevitably force them to either commit crimes, steal or end up in prison, only to continue the same patterns of an unfulfilled and uninspired life again.

The post The Cost of Being White in South Africa appeared first on Alt News Network.

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You might ask, “What is the aim of all this?” Well, it’s to establish SA as the premier digital gateway and technological hub for Africa. Building these AI factories will serve to fuel high-performance computing, but at what cost to Mother Nature and our beautiful land?

South Africa is already a water-scarce country, and predictions are that these data centres will consume a whopping estimated 17.94 to 29.42 billion litres of water annually by 2030! If we don’t desperately put the brakes on this process, who knows where we will be in 5 years?

Equinix is expanding into Cape Town with a 7.5 billion Rand investment. The Cavaleros Group announced similar plans for major campuses in Cape Town and Pretoria. Teraco( Digital Realty), Africa Data Centres, Vantage Data Centres, and NTT Data are the major players in the current market. Now, given the World Economic Forum’s clearly stated goals for their Utopian 2030 agenda, the building of these Data centres, coupled with Digital ID infrastructure, Net Zero goals, controlling our carbon footprint, reducing our overall meat consumption and driving behavior which is borderline robotic in its very nature, one has to start wondering about why Leon Schreiber is suddenly pushing Digital ID so much, whilst Ramaphosa announced the imminent ending of the trusted green ID book.

Never mind preserving our water resources or protecting our farmers, or our privacy, for that matter! The Globalist Elites want nothing more for you and me than to rely solely on them for our daily living requirements – tracking us, controlling our spending and monitoring our carbon usage, as if we are caught up in some sort of Squid Games reality where everything we do is for their entertainment! Without water, there is no life! No matter if we have 5G, 6G or even 10G technology! Environmental activist groups need to be much more vocal and show much more resistance! Churches need to condemn this sort of digital overreach and abuse of power by our government, and you and I need to pray for a revival in SA!

The post Data Centres in SA Will Consume Too Much Water appeared first on Alt News Network.

Understanding the official case for Digital ID systems

The transition from traditional physical identification to a centralized Digital ID framework is being marketed under the banner of modern efficiency and administrative progress. Led by the Department of Home Affairs under Minister Leon Schreiber and accelerated by President Cyril Ramaphosa, the state’s aggressive push to phase out the green barcoded ID book is framed as a solution to national security and immigration backlogs.

This policy direction is fundamentally flawed. By forcing citizens into a digital-first identity matrix, the state is not modernizing public service; it is implementing an intrusive infrastructure of permanent surveillance, exposing citizens to unprecedented cybersecurity risks, and dismantling the foundational right to privacy.

1. Technical Vulnerabilities and State Surveillance

The primary argument for the Digital ID is data security, yet digital infrastructure is inherently more vulnerable to systemic manipulation than decentralized, physical documents.

• Centralized Hacking Targets: A unified digital identity database creates a single point of failure. If state servers or cloud-based identity networks are compromised, millions of biometric and personal records are exposed simultaneously, opening the door to automated, mass identity theft.

• Continuous Tracking vs. Point-of-Use Verification: Traditional green ID books are passive instruments; they are only produced at the citizen’s discretion during specific legal or financial transactions (e.g., opening a bank account or signing a lease). A Digital ID requires a connected smart device or a continuous digital footprint, turning a simple proof of identity into a real-time tracking tool.

• The “Kill Switch” Risk: When identity is tied entirely to a digital network, the state gains the technical capability to revoke or suspend access to an individual’s legal status at the press of a button, effectively shutting a citizen out of the economy without due process.

2. The Shift Toward Influx Control

The mandate to phase out un-trackable physical documents represents a dangerous shift in the relationship between the government and the citizen.

• The Modern Dompas: Forcing citizens to rely on digital devices or smart cards to verify their daily existence mirrors historical influx control measures. Requiring a citizen to be constantly verifiable by electronic scanning networks creates a digital boundary system, restricting free movement and trade.

• Loss of Freedom of Choice: True civic freedom includes the right to remain offline. By establishing a hard deadline to invalidate the green ID book, the state eliminates choice, making participation in the digital ecosystem a compulsory requirement for citizenship.

3. Mitigating the Risks: Strategies for Citizens

For those who are concerned about this overreach, here are the practical strategies to navigate the current legislative and administrative pressure.

For Those Who Have Already Transitioned to a Smart Card/Digital ID

If you have already upgraded to the smart identity card or registered on digital platforms, your focus must shift to data minimization and privacy containment.

• Limit Biometric Interlocking: Refuse to link your digital identity to optional private services, third-party apps, or commercial loyalty programs wherever possible. Keep your state identity isolated from your daily digital footprint.

• Maintain Analog Redundancies: Keep certified physical copies of your old green ID book, past passports, and paper records of your birth registration. In a digital system failure or a legal dispute over identity access, a verified paper trail remains critical evidence of your legal status.

• Enforce Data Access Rights: Utilize existing data privacy laws (such as POPIA) to demand transparency from institutions regarding how your digital ID token is being stored, who it is being shared with, and whether it is being used for automated profiling.

For Parents Navigating the System for Their Children

The most difficult barrier is faced by parents whose children are reaching the age of 16 and require documentation for exams, tertiary education, or employment.

• Apply Under Protest/Reservation of Rights: If the department refuses to issue traditional documentation and forces a smart card/digital registration, submit a written statement alongside the application stating that the biometric registration is done under administrative duress solely to secure the child’s constitutional right to an education and legal recognition.

• Demand Minimal Data Collection: Ensure that the data captured is strictly limited to the legal minimum required by law. Oppose any supplementary data harvesting, such as optional health, financial, or educational profiling linked to the core identity number.

• Support Community-Led Legal Alternatives: Connect with local civic organizations, legal clinics, and human rights groups that are challenging the constitutionality of the hard phase-out. Collective legal actions and class-action challenges are the most effective ways to force the state to maintain a physical, non-digital option for the next generation.

Take Action Against the Digital Matrix: Do not let your silence be mistaken for consent. Join thousands of sovereign citizens who are drawing a line in the sand against state overreach. Sign the official petition to reject mandatory digital tracking and protect our fundamental freedom of choice.

Sign the petition here: Lex Libertas.

Conclusion: The Necessity of Legal Resistance

The narrative that a digitized life is inevitable is a tool used to manufacture compliance. Citizens have a legal right to demand decentralized, private forms of identification that do not subject them to constant tracking or technological vulnerability. By questioning these mandates, demanding transparent alternatives, and participating in local civic actions, the public can push back against an intrusive system and preserve the fundamental right to move, trade, and live freely.

The post The Case Against the Digital ID: A Blueprint for Algorithmic Control appeared first on Alt News Network.

Apparently now, because of this war in Iran against the terror axis of the Ayatollas, our taxi drivers here in SA are going to cause ‘civil unrest’, but not because of the weakening Rand, our abnormally high unemployment rates, the ANC’s debilitating influence on our economy over the last 30 years, nor the grand scale corruption that had hollowed out our State coffers through ANC greed and nepotism, no, but only because of the tiny state of Israel! How can this mess we see in SA ever be the ANC’s fault, right, Mr Essa? It must be Israel’s or the Whites’ fault, right?

By Essa’s reasoning, we should just allow Iran, the Global number 1 State sponsor of terror, to develop a nuclear bomb, so that Israel can be done away with, and all our problems here on local ground will simply disappear into thin air… all we need is to destroy Israel, right, Mr Essa? Surely then, our rape count will drop, our schools will start functioning all of a sudden, we won’t have so many unemployed citizens relying on social grants, nor will farm murders take place anymore… or how about our water woes and pot holes, or load shedding…won’t that also magically go away as soon as the Jews are gone? Perhaps, after Smodridge and Ben Gvir’s disappearances, our Rainbow Nation will suddenly prosper, because Jews wreck everything, right? But please, let’s not blame Ramaphosa’s ANC for anything… with 142 race laws, surely what we are seeing is not Reverse-Apartheid, Mr Essa?

I wonder if Mr Essa knows about the atrocities which were committed in Iran by IRGC madmen, under the now-deceased Khamenei’s watch, and how their own people were slaughtered and butchered in the streets by radical, heavily armed, State-aligned Jihadi rebels and Shia Militia barbarians? What happened at a market in Rasht, when several defenceless citizens were set on fire for hiding from their own government, Mr Essa? Does this not deserve the strongest condemnation possible, yet you faff on about Gaza and how Israel is an Apartheid state, occupying ‘stolen land’, as they all say, quoting the Holy Bible in a way which seems, well, disingenuous. You refer to the ‘Good Book’ in your letter, as if it’s just another book, obviously, nothing you value or believe in at all? Please do not profess to lecture us about what the Bible says or doesn’t say, just look around you and realise that terror, Radicalism, events such as October 7, 2023 and the killing of innocent citizens in Iran by its own evil government, do not conform to normal, civil society or Western values of love, forgiveness, patience and godliness. The White, English and Afrikaans-speaking folk you refer to in your letter are struggling just as much as anyone else in SA. When unemployment rears its ugly head, the taps run dry, our infrastructure falls apart, and business owners have to shut down their businesses or relocate, or even emigrate.

Your pointing out how taxi drivers are suffering due to the war in Iran makes just about as much sense as saying that after 30 years of democracy in SA, redress must still take place!

The post Opinion: We Cannot Blame Israel for Everything appeared first on Alt News Network.

Johannesburg, 3 March 2026: Scream 7 has stormed into the top position at the South African box office, claiming the number one spot on its opening weekend and marking a record-breaking moment for the long-running franchise. Local audiences turned out in force, pushing the film to its strongest opening weekend performance ever in South Africa and cementing its status as the biggest new cinema release of 2026 so far.

A Record Weekend for Horror

The seventh instalment in the franchise opened to almost R2 million at the local box office, delivering the biggest opening weekend the Scream series has ever achieved in South Africa. The result more than doubled the opening performance of Scream VI and positioned the film as the biggest horror opener in the country for a long time. The strong debut reflects both the enduring love that fans have for the franchise and a renewed appetite for sharp, nerve-rattling cinema experiences.

A Return to Fear, With Familiar Faces

The film sees Neve Campbell return as Sidney Prescott, joined by Courteney Cox, Isabel May, Jasmin Savoy Brown, Mason Gooding, Anna Camp, Joel McHale and McKenna Grace among the ensemble cast. In Scream 7, when a new Ghostface killer surfaces in the quiet town where Sidney has rebuilt her life, the danger becomes deeply personal as her daughter is drawn into the nightmare. Forced to confront the trauma she has spent years outrunning, Sidney faces the past head-on in a final attempt to end the violence.

Presented by Paramount Pictures and Spyglass Media Group, Scream 7 is directed by Kevin Williamson and is now showing in cinemas nationwide.

The post Scream 7 Becomes Biggest Horror Release in SA History appeared first on Alt News Network.

The MyBroadband article “Beginning of the end for South Africa’s green ID book” reports on the Department of Home Affairs’ (DHA) push to replace green ID books with smart ID cards, framing the transition primarily as a quantitative success story — record issuance figures, increased access points via banks, and bureaucratic efficiency.

However, from a journalistic integrity and public-interest perspective, several key critiques emerge:

Heavy Reliance on Government Messaging

The article largely echoes official statements from the DHA and Minister Leon Schreiber without sufficient scrutiny. It repeats claims that smart IDs are “vastly more secure” and that green ID books are “500% more vulnerable to fraud” without contextual evidence, independent verification, or expert commentary beyond Home Affairs sources.

Insight: Strong reporting should challenge official claims or balance them with third-party perspectives or independent data, especially when characterisations like “fraud-prone” are used.

Absence of Critical Risk Context

While the article highlights logistical rollout details (e.g., number of cards issued, bank partnerships), it omits broader risks associated with digital ID systems. Globally, digital identity initiatives have raised concerns about privacy, surveillance, data security, and exclusion of vulnerable populations — yet none of this appears in the coverage.

Newsworthy gaps include:

• What safeguards exist under South Africa’s Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA) to prevent misuse of digital identities?
• What are the cybersecurity risks of a centralized digital ID database?
• How will the state prevent mission creep into pervasive surveillance?

Journalism that simply relays administrative progress without examining societal implications fails its watchdog role.

Lack of Independent Voices and Diverse Sources

There are no quotes from civil liberties advocates, privacy experts, data security researchers, or affected citizens. When an article covers a major shift in national identity infrastructure, balanced reporting should include multiple viewpoints — especially from populations most likely to be impacted (rural communities, the unbanked, older citizens).

Example missing voices:

• Digital rights organisations are concerned with biometric data privacy.
• Academics who have studied digital ID implementations abroad and their pitfalls.

Their absence creates a narrative that reads more like government amplification than investigative reporting.

Narrow Framing Around Fraud Without Nuance

The article frames the green ID as a fraud issue and the smart ID as the solution. Yet this binary framing oversimplifies the problem: fraud is a multi-layered systemic issue involving identity verification systems, government IT capacity, and socio-economic factors. Simply replacing a physical document with a digital card does not inherently solve fraud without comprehensive security oversight.

There’s also no discussion of potential unintended consequences — such as what happens if the digital system is breached or if citizens are denied services due to technical issues.

Missed Global Context

Global digital ID rollouts — from India’s Aadhaar to Estonia’s e-ID system — show that such systems can exclude vulnerable groups, create privacy vulnerabilities, and pose governance challenges. A more robust article would situate South Africa’s rollout within this international context, enabling readers to understand that the issue isn’t just administrative but geopolitical and rights-based.

Where MyBroadband Falls Short

From a journalistic perspective, the MyBroadband article provides useful surface facts (numbers and rollout plans) but lacks the analytical depth and critical perspective necessary for readers to understand the full implications of the digital ID transition:

• It fails to interrogate official claims and lacks independent evidence.
• It omits contextual risks around privacy, surveillance, and exclusion.
• It offers no diverse perspectives beyond government spokespeople.
• It excludes global precedents that could illuminate potential pitfalls or successes.

For coverage of a policy initiative with such profound implications for identity, civil rights, and personal data governance, this represents a missed opportunity for in-depth, accountable journalism.

The post Opinion: Citizens Must Question Who Benefits From Smart ID Adoption appeared first on Alt News Network.

Record Issuance Masks Critical Risks
The Department of Home Affairs (DHA) issued over 4 million smart ID cards in 2025, a 17% increase over the previous year. Minister Leon Schreiber hailed this as a milestone in South Africa’s digital transformation, emphasizing faster access to banking, employment, and social grants. While production numbers are impressive, roughly 14 million green ID books still need replacement—a process projected to stretch until at least 2028.

What is missing from official statements is any discussion of potential risks. Globally, digital ID systems have been linked to data breaches, government overreach, and marginalization of vulnerable citizens. The “fraud-prone” label applied to green ID books by the DHA serves more as a justification for rapid adoption than a documented reality.

Global Precedents Highlight Pitfalls

Digital identity systems are not new. India’s Aadhaar program, the world’s largest biometric ID system, has faced widespread criticism: data leaks exposed millions of citizens’ information, and errors have left individuals unable to access essential services. Estonia, often cited as a model for digital governance, has experienced cybersecurity breaches that threatened citizens’ personal data. These cases underscore that technology alone does not guarantee security—and that centralizing citizen information creates high-value targets for abuse or exploitation.

Privacy and Surveillance Risks

Centralized digital IDs inherently create the possibility of mass surveillance. They consolidate biometric, financial, and personal data into a single database, accessible to both government and, potentially, third-party actors. In practice, this makes citizens more traceable in their everyday lives, raising questions about how personal data may be monitored, shared, or monetized. In a society with already strained trust in government institutions, the implications are profound: citizens may comply without full understanding, while oversight mechanisms remain weak.

Unelected Influence Behind the Push

South Africa’s digital ID initiative aligns with global trends promoted by international organizations, tech consortiums, and unelected entities advocating for a “digital identity for all.” Agencies such as the World Bank, UN digital identity programs, and fintech consortiums encourage centralized systems purportedly for inclusion and efficiency. Yet these agendas are not subject to direct democratic accountability, potentially prioritizing global digital strategies over citizen rights and local governance realities.

Access and Exclusion Issues

While the DHA emphasizes expanded access via bank branches, significant gaps remain: rural populations, unbanked individuals, and technologically marginalized citizens may struggle to obtain a digital ID. A system that increasingly relies on digital infrastructure risks creating a “digital divide”, where those without access to technology are inadvertently excluded from essential services like banking, healthcare, and government support.

South Africa’s push for smart IDs is positioned as a technological leap forward, yet the rollout leaves critical questions unanswered. Globally, digital ID systems have demonstrated that centralization of personal data carries serious privacy, security, and inclusion risks. Furthermore, the drive toward digital identity aligns with unelected global agendas, raising questions about whose interests these systems truly serve.

South Africans must consider: Are smart IDs a genuine solution to fraud and inefficiency—or the start of a surveillance infrastructure that could compromise privacy, equity, and autonomy for decades to come?

The post Digital IDs in South Africa: Efficiency or Encroachment? appeared first on Alt News Network.

Municipal Workers Left in the Lurch

Workers who sustain our cities and towns are facing a reality no one should endure. In municipalities across the country, employees are left waiting for their pay while local services grind to a halt. Reports detail strikes at Nkomazi Local Municipality and other regions where workers protest delayed or missing salaries, forcing them into desperate industrial action just to survive.

The government deflects responsibility, citing structural funding challenges and municipal mismanagement. Yet these are predictable failures when the state prioritizes its own pockets over citizens’ needs.

Politicians Reward Themselves

While municipal employees endure hardship, the Independent Commission for the Remuneration of Public Office Bearers has recommended an above-inflation 4.1% pay increase for South Africa’s top officials in 2026.

• The President will earn R3.486 million, an increase of R137,000.
• The Deputy President receives a similar bump of R130,000.
• Cabinet ministers see R110,000 extra annually, while members of parliament get R52,000 more, on top of enhanced benefits like pensions and medical aid contributions.

Even at the municipal level, mayors will take home R1.6 million, and councillors R714,000, with annual increases exceeding what most South Africans earn in an entire year (Business Tech, 2026 salary forecast).

The Stark Divide

This is the contrast that exposes systemic moral failure: workers going unpaid, struggling to put food on the table, versus politicians and office bearers approving themselves substantial windfalls. The increase for a single politician can equal the entire annual salary of a municipal worker. Meanwhile, ordinary South Africans face minimal, if any, wage increases, stagnating under rising costs and inflation.

Trade unions and civil society groups, including COSATU, have condemned these hikes as tone-deaf, highlighting the disconnect between elite remuneration and citizens’ lived realities.

Systemic Corruption and Dysfunction

This is more than salaries; it is a reflection of a government that rewards itself while failing its mandate. Service delivery remains erratic: water shortages, electricity outages, dysfunctional roads, and collapsed sewer systems plague communities (Cato Manor sewer crisis resolved). Yet, for the elite, incompetence is irrelevant — self-reward is guaranteed.

The financial strain on municipalities is compounded by mismanagement and unfunded mandates, yet the salaries of public office bearers are insulated from these pressures, perpetuating a culture where the state serves its leaders before the people.

Public Reaction and Accountability

Ordinary citizens are witnessing a government that has lost touch with its purpose. While municipal workers protest to survive, politicians reward themselves. The optics are catastrophic, and the anger is justified.

This is a government that has prioritized its own wellbeing over that of its citizens, reinforcing inequality and eroding trust. South Africans are left to ask: if those running the state are financially secure while the very people who keep it functional go unpaid, what is the purpose of governance?

South Africa stands at a critical juncture. Municipal workers continue to suffer under delayed salaries, service delivery failures, and systemic incompetence. Meanwhile, politicians approve themselves lavish pay increases with impunity. The disconnect is both shocking and morally indefensible.

The question is now unavoidable: how long will citizens tolerate a government that pays itself first while leaving workers and communities to struggle?

The post Workers Go Unpaid While Politicians Pocket Millions: South Africa’s Salary Scandal appeared first on Alt News Network.