A blunder by the department of home affairs almost 10 years ago has placed the life of a young mother and her two children in limbo as her green barcoded identity book states she is 30 years older than she actually is.
Nokuphiwa Tomas’s ID book indicates she was born in 1952 instead of 1982.
The mother from Dongwe Location in Berlin has been fighting a losing battle with the department since 2006 trying to fix the error.
As a result of the mistake she cannot get formal employment and has found only part-time domestic work.
She is also continually questioned over her age as indicated in the ID and her younger appearance.
“I first applied for my ID in 2006 and on that day I had gone with my mother and sister who also applied for their IDs on the same day,” she said. “A few months later they received their IDs but mine did not come back and when it did a couple of months later, it came back with the wrong date. Since 2006 I have been fighting this tiring battle with them but with no luck.”
Despite re-applying on numerous occasions, Tomas said she was told at the Mdantsane home affairs office last year that the mistake could not be rectified.
To add to her troubles, her two children, aged 10 and six years old, do not have birth certificates as she cannot apply for them because of her faulty ID book. Tomas is also unable to apply for social grants for them and has also not been able to vote.
“I cannot do anything. This year on June 16 I will be turning 34 but according to my ID book I will be 64. Not even my parents are that age – my parents are both 57.
“Despite showing this proof among other supporting documents to the department I still don’t have the right ID book,” she said.
Siya Majakajaka, a manager with the the provincial home office, expressed shock when the issue was brought to his attention. He said the department would investigate how the mistake had happened.
“I will personally handle this case from now on. We are not sure how this happened and it is shocking. We will assist the lady as this is actually not a crisis,” Majakajaka said.
Tomas said she had lost hope she would ever be assisted. “I re-applied last year in June and when I went back to the Mdantsane home affairs office in November the person who was dealing with my application was not there. I was told I need to re-apply again. I can’t go through this again, it is too stressful,” added the unemployed mother.
Home affairs bungle costs woman dearly
Nokuphiwa Tomas’s ID book indicates she was born in 1952 instead of 1982.
The mother from Dongwe Location in Berlin has been fighting a losing battle with the department since 2006 trying to fix the error.
As a result of the mistake she cannot get formal employment and has found only part-time domestic work.
She is also continually questioned over her age as indicated in the ID and her younger appearance.
“I first applied for my ID in 2006 and on that day I had gone with my mother and sister who also applied for their IDs on the same day,” she said. “A few months later they received their IDs but mine did not come back and when it did a couple of months later, it came back with the wrong date. Since 2006 I have been fighting this tiring battle with them but with no luck.”
Despite re-applying on numerous occasions, Tomas said she was told at the Mdantsane home affairs office last year that the mistake could not be rectified.
To add to her troubles, her two children, aged 10 and six years old, do not have birth certificates as she cannot apply for them because of her faulty ID book. Tomas is also unable to apply for social grants for them and has also not been able to vote.
“I cannot do anything. This year on June 16 I will be turning 34 but according to my ID book I will be 64. Not even my parents are that age – my parents are both 57.
“Despite showing this proof among other supporting documents to the department I still don’t have the right ID book,” she said.
Siya Majakajaka, a manager with the the provincial home office, expressed shock when the issue was brought to his attention. He said the department would investigate how the mistake had happened.
“I will personally handle this case from now on. We are not sure how this happened and it is shocking. We will assist the lady as this is actually not a crisis,” Majakajaka said.
Tomas said she had lost hope she would ever be assisted. “I re-applied last year in June and when I went back to the Mdantsane home affairs office in November the person who was dealing with my application was not there. I was told I need to re-apply again. I can’t go through this again, it is too stressful,” added the unemployed mother.
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