November 30 is a date that Kabelo Thibedi is unlikely to forget.
On that day in 2005, he made headlines when he took Home Affairs employee Lanelle Small hostage with a toy gun after battling for two years to get his ID book.
On Thursday, exactly a year ago to the day, he walked into the police station in the centre of Johannesburg and emerged clutching the new green book.
"I finally have my ID and it has no mistakes on it," he said from his Meadlowlands, Soweto, home on Thursday.
"I feel very, very happy. It is great and I am excited. I had been back about six times and now I have it."
He took the opportunity, however, to express his deep regret at what had happened on that fateful day last year.
"I know that what I did is entirely wrong," he said, "and I certainly don't condone it in any way. I have repeatedly apologised to the lady I took hostage for my behaviour, and to this day I regret it deeply."
In the meantime, however, Thibedi's actions of a year ago, and his subsequent five-year sentence passed early in November, have put poor service delivery by government departments in the spotlight.
When the incident was first reported on a year ago, many people phoned newspapers and radio stations around the country, saying they could relate to his frustration. Some even offered to donate money for his court battle.
Others, however, placed more emphasis on the fact that the five-hour hostage drama had left Small deeply traumatised, and that any such threat of a gun, toy or not, could cause major psychological damage.
By April this year, she was still undergoing counselling to deal with the trauma, and had told the court: "I do not feel better and I haven't recovered from my ordeal."
Then, when the sentence was passed, many individuals and groups - including the Young Communist League - expressed outrage at the five-year sentence, saying it was far too harsh in comparison with lighter sentences passed for far more serious crimes.
And, once again, others came forward to defend the sentence, saying that a hostage drama involving a toy gun was tantamount to one involving a real gun because Small didn't know it wasn't real.
Thibedi was released on bail and was granted leave to appeal.
"I am still waiting for a date of appeal - it is going to be next year," he said.