The short answer
You can write a letter to the Minister of Home Affairs and explain your situation.
The whole question
Dear Athalie
My biometrics have not been verifiable since earlier this year, and the branch I visited refused to proceed with a new live capture because I have reached my limit of live captures.
I requested that my previous live capture (which contains my fingerprints, ID number, and full name) be printed or emailed directly to the Master of the High Court so that I can claim my inheritance from the Guardian's Fund. However, this request was denied.
The Guardian’s Fund requires confirmation that my biometric record matches my ID number and name to verify my identity for the release of my inheritance. I have submitted a sworn affidavit explaining that my fingerprints were damaged during a carpentry course, but without Home Affairs verification, the process cannot continue.
My family emigrated a few years ago but now I am stranded in South Africa and unable to return home due to this verification issue, preventing me from finalising the inheritance process and moving forward with my adult life.
The long answer
This is what a list of frequently asked questions by the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development says:
The Guardian’s Fund is not in a position to decide whether the fingerprints are clear enough, since the verification is done by Home Affairs.
The Guardian’s Fund will not be able to pay out if the fingerprints are not verified.
If you are able to lodge your application personally, you need to attach your fingerprints. The Master has computers on-site (MOVIT) on which your fingerprints can be verified in person.
But as Home Affairs has already rejected your MOVIT reports, and are refusing a further live capture, perhaps you could
Write a letter to the Minister of Home Affairs, Leon Schreiber, setting out the whole story and including all the documents, explaining that you have been waiting since March 2025 for the problem to be resolved, and that you are desperate to return to your parents. You could ask him to personally intervene on your behalf. He is on record as saying that he is determined to make Home Affairs, which has been chaotic and dysfunctional for years, work efficiently and serve the country’s citizens.
Tel: 021 469 6511
Email: Ministerialqueries@dha.gov.za
Approach an organisation like the Black Sash, which has much experience with Home Affairs, for assistance. They give free paralegal advice. These are their contact details:
Email: help@blacksash.org.za and info@blacksash.org.za
Tel (national office): 021 686 6952
Helpline: 072 66 33 73, 072 633 3739 or 063 610 1865
You could also approach one of the following organisations for assistance, which also have experience with Home Affairs:
Email: info@lhr.org.za
Tel: 012 320 2943 (Pretoria) or 011 339 1960 (Johannesburg)
Email:info@lrc.org.za
Tel (Johannesburg): 011 836 9831
Wishing you the best,
Athalie
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Answered on Oct. 24, 2025, 1:09 p.m.
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