Meadowlands father without ID for years struggles to access basic services
After many attempts to apply for a new ID, George Phea was told he was a foreign national and assaulted at the Roodepoort Home Affairs.
George Phea, a 58-year-old resident of Meadowlands Zone 2, is living a life out of the ordinary after being without an ID for years, after losing it while travelling for work.
Phea said he was born in Meadowlands and later moved with his mother and siblings to Mozambique, where he grew up before returning to his family home in Zone 2.
After losing his ID, he attempted to apply for a new one in Middelburg using his passport.
An official helped him fill in forms, but kept his passport, and he was asked to return with proof of residence and a birth certificate. The system then indicated that he was not from SA.
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“I remember returning home and, unfortunately, my birth certificate had been misplaced during renovations. I went back to the clinic where I was born and was told they could not give me a birth certificate,’’ said Phea.
Phea’s partner, Odete Mogabe, described the ordeal as disheartening and draining, adding that she is from Mozambique but gave birth in SA. Because the father does not have an ID, their children cannot go to school or access healthcare.
Phea added that during one incident at the Roodepoort Home Affairs, he was accused of being a foreigner, stripped and assaulted when officials searched for what they referred to as a “stamp’’ on his body to prove he was not South African. He has since opened a case with the Public Protector.
The family is pleading for help, saying they cannot access basic services.
