Home Affairs waves colour wand

2008-02-07 21:32

Durban - The Department of Home Affairs has turned a white Durban man black in a bungle that has left the 18-year-old with the photo of a black man in his identity document, the Mercury reported on Thursday.

All the details on Phillipus Grobler's new identity document are correct, except his picture - which is one of a black man.

Grobler's mother told the Mercury that she was "a bit puzzled" when a postal worker asked her if her son was black.

"It is ridiculous. How can a mistake like this happen?" the angry mother was quoted as saying.

Home Affairs spokesperson Jacky Mashapu apologised and told the newspaper that the manual processing of the ID book had led to the mistake.

Grobler and his new ID - a picture of which was splashed across the Mercury - cannot apply to enrol in a course to complete his Grade 11.

What was not clear from the report, was which black person, if any, had Grobler's photo in his identity document.

- SAPA