Home affairs mix-up leaves man in abeyance since 2012

TONGA – Nicholas Machava (29) shares an identity with a man in Groblersdal, Limpopo – a place he has never been to.

The mix-up was discovered after Machava had gone to Komatipoort’s home-affairs office to renew his passport.

“After they took my fingerprints, they told me that they matched those of another person,” he explained.

The person was also using his ID number.

“They told me to bring documents to prove my identity, which I did.” When the documents proved who Machava was, he was advised to apply for a new ID book.

That was in 2012. He is still waiting for it to arrive. “I have been able to renew my driver’s licence with my current ID, but it is proving problematic when they try to verify my identity for jobs.”

He worked as a cross-border taxi driver, for which he needs a passport. He, however, cannot get another one because of his shared identity.

He has continuously been going to Komatipoort Home Affairs where he has been told that the matter has not yet been resolved.

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While at college in Middelburg last year, his mother, Nomvula Silinda (53), took it upon herself to help him.

“It is stressing me so much so that it is starting to affect my work,” she said.

“I am just worried as to what is going to happen to my son if this doesn’t get fixed.”

After his studies, Machava went back to the home-affairs offices where he was given the national numbers in Pretoria to do an enquiry himself.

He was shocked to find out five years after his application, that they never received it. A brand-new application had to be submitted.

After further enquiries, he found that James Khoza from Groblersdal shared his fingerprints and ID number.

“If home affairs knows this, why don’t they call us both so that the matter can be resolved. I am willing to do that just to have the matter resolved,” said Machava.

The Department of Home Affairs had not replied to quiries at the time of going to press.