Childhood mistake costs man his ID

Blind Nkobongo resident Sipho Sibiya (49) is in despair, after having his identity document declared invalid in February by the department of home affairs.

Sibiya said he went to KwaDukuza home affairs to apply for a passport as he was planning to visit a relative in Swaziland. To his shock he was told that according to their records he is not a South African, but a Swaziland citizen.

“My ID is now useless. I can not collect my disability grant,” said Sibiya.

He said during his childhood he was once arrested for crossing the border into Swaziland illegally with a group of friends, while working on a farm in Hluhluwe.

“There was a group of boys from Swaziland who used to jump the border fence daily to South Africa, to work on a farm in Hluhluwe. So one day they told me to join them for a wedding in Swaziland and we jumped the fence,” said Sibiya.

“When they were coming back to South Africa the next day, they were caught and fingerprints were taken, and everyone was registered as Swazi people.”

The question is how did he get the ID in the first place if he is not a South African?

Home Affairs regional director for Uthungulu and Ilembe, Sikhosiphi Dlamini said Sibiya should take the matter up with a immigration officer at home affairs, who will investigate the matter and make a recommendation to the head office.

“He must resolve the issue of his identity document being blocked for his violation of the Immigration Act first, before making any attempts to secure a South African passport should he be found to be a South African citizen,” said Dlamini.

He said these cases do happen and fingerprints of individuals who do not enter the country through designated ports of entry have their fingerprints taken and stored. When they apply for an ID or passport, such fingerprints come up.

“I do not think that this individual has a criminal record on the basis of this particular act. As this person is no longer able to access his social grant, it is his own interest that this matter is resolved urgently,” said Dlamini.