“Haibo! We Need Answers!”: SA ID in Released Epstein Files Has Mzansi Flipping Out

• A report was shared about photos released from Jeffrey Epstein's estate by US Democrats
• South Africans spotted what appeared to be an SA ID among the materials shown in the footage
• Mzansi demanded answers about why a South African identity document was in the files

South Africans were left shocked after spotting what appeared to be a South African ID in footage about files released from convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein's estate. As previously reported on by Briefly News, the discovery has sparked confusion and questions across social media as people have been trying to understand why the document would be among Epstein's materials. A video report shared by CNN on 19 December 2025 showed Democrats on the House Oversight Committee releasing more than 60 photos from Epstein's estate, and eagle-eyed South African viewers quickly noticed the familiar identity smart card.

The CNN report explained that the photos showed Epstein's connections to powerful people, including Bill Gates, Woody Allen, Steve Bannon and philosopher Noam Chomsky. The images also included multiple female passports and disturbing content. Democrats redacted any information that could identify survivors of Epstein's abuse. The report noted that Democrats have been releasing small batches from the 95,000 images they received from the estate, which has led to criticism from Republicans who say they're cherry-picking information.

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No context was provided for the photos, so it's unclear when or where they were taken. The caption on the video stated:

"Democrats on the House Oversight Committee released photos from Jeffrey Epstein's estate Thursday, the latest in a series of intermittent disclosures that have fueled significant political intrigue in recent weeks about who may have been associated with the convicted sex offender."

SA reacts to ID in Epstein files

Netizens shared their confusion on TikToker @cnn's page:

@ecco_⁵_¹⁶ couldn't believe what they saw:

"DID I JUST SEE A SA ID?"

@jayda_z was equally shocked and said:

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"Woah woah woah! South African ID???"

@stumaro questioned the document and asked:

"Nahh that South African ID didn't exist in the Epstein era... Why ese dompass/green book?🤔"

@kolesmith had a different take and joked:

"The way South Africans have main character syndrome, they also wanna be included in the Epstein files 😭. What is our ID doing there?"

@agh_hallo_stephan demanded answers and stated:

"CNN, on behalf of all South Africans, we need answers here? Haibo👀"

@skye was stunned and wrote:

"Nkosi yami, is that a South African ID?"

What is the Epstein case?

The video was shared by the TikTok page @cnn that posts global news content. According to Wikipedia, Jeffrey Epstein was an American financier who was convicted of sex trafficking and died in his jail cell in August 2019.

His death was ruled a suicide, though it started many conspiracy theories. Epstein had connections to many powerful people around the world, and the ongoing release of files from his estate still has public interest and concern about who may have been associated with him.

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Watch the TikTok clip below:

3 Other crime stories in SA

• Briefly News recently reported on a taxi driver who was shot and killed in Bishop Lavis in the Western Cape after allegedly spotting a man approaching his vehicle.
• Police identified two suspects in the Bekkersdal tavern mass shooting that claimed 10 lives and left 10 others injured on Gauteng's West Rand.
• Five undocumented foreign nationals were found during a raid at an upmarket massage parlour in Durban, and more arrests were expected.

Source: Briefly News