Still no ID after 7yrs of applying
2008-12-17 09:07
Thabisile Khoza & France Nyaka
Kwamhlanga - Mavis Mabena, 24, has never had an identity book and now can't get married because the Department of Home Affairs has failed to help her.
Mabena of Tweefontein B2, near KwaMhlanga in Mpumalanga, has been applying for an ID book since 2001, but still does not have one.
"I have been trying to get an ID book for the past seven years. Today my husband, who paid lobola for me, can't marry me legally because I have no ID," said Mabena.
"I've done everything that home affairs told me to do and I submitted all the necessary documents to their offices, but nothing helps me."
Five applications this year
She said she had applied for an ID book about five times this year alone, but was always told to wait as her ID book had not yet been processed.
Mabena first applied for her ID book at Mkobola home affairs offices in Kwaggafontein when she was still in Grade 10 in 2001. She was told to check after a period of three months, without any success.
In 2002 she went back to re-apply at the KwaMhlanga home affairs offices, where she was also informed to check in three months time.
"I did so and my ID book was still nowhere to be seen. I was told to re-apply for the third time," she said.
In 2003 she did so again at KwaMhlanga home affairs offices, where they told her that her application was unsuccessful because of some outstanding information.
Last year, she went to the Pretoria home affairs offices to apply for the fourth time and waited for more than three months, but when she went to check, they told her there were some errors when processing the ID book, she said.
Earlier this year she went to the Cullinan home affairs offices north of Pretoria where she was once again met with bad news. This time home affairs blamed their computer system.
Can't get job, study, vote, register child
Mabena is now challenging Home Affairs minister Mapisa Nqakula to see to it that she receives her ID before next year.
"If she really cares she should make sure I get my ID before the year is out. I know I will spend Christmas without one, but how would she feel if her daughter could not get married because of her department's mess-up," she said.
Besides getting married, Mabena also can't get a job or study further.
"I completed my matric in 2003 with the sole purpose to study further and become a journalist, but I can't because the process of getting my ID book is putting my career on hold," she cried.
Mabena has a three-year-old son whom she can't get a birth certificate for because she doesn't have an ID book.
She said she obviously will not vote because she hasn't registered.
She survives by cooking food and selling it to people at the KwaMhlanga Crossroads Shopping Complex.
Apply again
Home affairs spokesperson in Tshwane, Fundo Mbende, said their records show that Mabena applied for an ID book in Cullinan earlier this year, but it hasn't been released.
"We don't know why it is still at that office, Mabena must revisit our nearest office in KwaMhlanga for a new application," he said.
KwaMhlanga home affairs manager Steven Boshego advised Mabena to revisit their office to re-apply.
"I will make sure that she gets help with success provided that she has all necessary requirements," said Boshego.
- African Eye