Durban: For the last few years Samantha Chetty’s life has been on hold.
In 2013, she lost her green South African identity book while she was in hospital giving birth to her first-born daughter. And, since then, she has tried unsuccessfully to get a replacement.
Chetty, of Westcliff, said she failed to register the birth of her child. She was told to get a letter from the hospital. However, it took about three years before she finally got a letter from the hospital.
“When I went back to Home Affairs in Chatsworth with the letter, they told me they needed my original ID. I explained that I had lost my ID and had applied for a new one. I showed them my marriage certificate, but they said they could not accept that as proof. As a result, my first-born daughter could not be registered,” said Chetty.
When Chetty questioned why her replacement ID was taking so long, she was told it was still being processed. She was given the same response over the years.
In November 2017, Chetty gave birth to a second child, another daughter. She returned to Home Affairs to try and get the child registered.
“Seeing our frustration, the manager decided to check my fingerprints on the system. I was shocked to see another woman’s picture pop up on the screen, with my identity number. They did not want to give us any details about her. But I was very angry and pointed out that it was not me in the picture,” she said.
Chetty was told the matter would be investigated.
“They asked me to get my birth certificate but I told them that I didn't have any documents as my mom, who had passed away a few years earlier, had kept everything and we did not know what happened to all the documents. They then asked me to get affidavits from my siblings, copies of their identity documents, as well my parents' death certificates, which I did immediately,” said Chetty.
Months followed with no feedback.
“In April 2019, my husband emailed the manager at the department of home affairs where I had applied for my ID and pleaded for the matter to be resolved. We were told that they were still looking into the matter and waiting for feedback from the head office.
“In October that year, the manager contacted me, and I was asked for a letter from the school I had attended and an affidavit explaining why I did not have a birth certificate. I provided both," she said.
Chetty said she went back to enquire in January last year. However, with the coronavirus pandemic and the subsequent lockdown, the matter dragged on.
At the start of school last year, matters came to a head when Chetty’s first-born needed to start Grade 1. The school wanted a birth certificate but, since her daughter was not registered, Chetty could not provide one.
“My daughter completed her Grade R at a private preschool, who accepted her even though she did not have a birth certificate. However, for Grade 1, the schools we went to insisted on her having a birth certificate. We tried to make contact with Home Affairs but we were told that, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the home affairs investigations department in Pretoria was closed. As a result, my daughter missed what should have been her first year at school,” Chetty said.
This year, Chetty was still unable to enrol her first born in school. Her second child is due to start school Grade R next year, and Chetty is worried she will not be able to enrol her either.
“We also cannot be registered on medical aid because we don’t have any identity documents. God forbid something happens to us because, as things stand – we don’t exist,” she added.
POST contacted the Department of Home Affairs, but they had not responded at the time of going to print. However, earlier this week and after the call, Chetty said someone from Home Affairs had called her and had asked her to come in.
Meanwhile, national spokesperson for the Department of Education Elijah Mhlanga said that according to a high court order from December 2019, pupils cannot and should not be denied admission because of documentation.
"The parents must go to the school and register their child. If the school denies them the right to do so, then the school must write a letter and give reasons. The parent must take the letter to the district offices for their intervention,“ said Mhlanga.
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