A 19-year-old man has been left unable to begin his university studies or find employment after a Department of Home Affairs administrative error left him without a valid identity document.

Njabulo Dladla, born in February 2007, was incorrectly registered as female on his birth certificate.
Despite his family initiating a legal process in 2017 to rectify his gender, Home Affairs officials have repeatedly failed to resolve the issue.

The ongoing documentation deadlock prevented Dladla from enrolling at the University of Pretoria, where he had applied to study nursing last year.

‘Virtually nothing you can do’

“The issue with my birth certificate is causing me severe depression,” Dladla said. “Right now, I am supposed to be doing my second year at university, but here I am, sitting at home, stranded. I cannot even apply for a job because I do not have an ID. Without a valid ID, there is virtually nothing you can do.”

Dladla previously visited the eMalahleni Home Affairs office on January 8 to enquire about his latest application, where officials informed him that his case required review by a Local Review Board.

However, no interview date was set at the time.

The matter had also been logged across multiple branches, including Ermelo and KwaMhlanga, under his mother’s identity details.

Inaccuracies identified

In response to media queries regarding the prolonged delays, Home Affairs spokesperson Ndileka Cola stated that a preliminary investigation revealed issues beyond the gender error.

“The investigation has identified inaccuracies in the recorded names and date of birth, in addition to the incorrect gender information,” Cola explained.

“These discrepancies are considered serious and will be addressed promptly to ensure that all records reflect accurate information.”

Extra dependent linked to ID

Following a subsequent visit to the eMalahleni office, Dladla was told his file would be transferred to the Middelburg Home Affairs office for further processing.

“I was told that I need to visit the Middelburg Home Affairs office, and I might receive my birth certificate on the same day,” Dladla said.

However, during follow-up checks, officials confirmed that an unknown dependent, linked to his mother’s ID, was found, and the process to remove the person is pending.

Dladla is now scheduled to return to the Middelburg branch on September 23 for a status check.

Despite the continuous setbacks, Dladla remains hopeful that the error will be corrected so he can move forward with his life.