Cape Town - “I just want a normal life with a job and a wife.”
This was the heartfelt plea made by Lesley Basson. He shares an identity number with someone else and this has caused hardships for the 34-year-old who says he is not able to find suitable employment or tie the knot.
Basson was raised by foster parents after his mother abandoned him and his older brother.
Though he could not complete his education because he was told that
he was a slow learner, Basson went up to Grade 8 and said he was passionate about carpentry and electrical
work.
“I went to school, I didn’t finish because I was in two accidents and my granny said I should stop going to school because it affected me,” Basson told Weekend Argus this week.
However, Basson’s problems mounted when he attempted to obtain an ID at the Department of Home Affairs 13 years ago.
“I was told I do not exist and that there is someone with my name, ID number and an ID living in Cape Town.”
But when Basson asked how it was possible, there were no answers.
“They said the only person who can help me fix this is my mother and I don’t know her, I never met her. I was a baby when she left us at the home so I don’t even know where to start looking for her,” he said.
When Weekend Argus enquired about his father, Basson said he would be of no help as “he doesn’t share the same name as me, they need my mother,” he said.
Sharon Gabie, Basson’s friend, told Weekend Argus that the woman who adopted him had since passed away.
“Lesley approached the offices of Home Affairs and was informed that he does not ‘exist’ on the system and the identity document with number as per the birth certificate in his possession does not belong to him and that someone somewhere in Cape Town is the using this identity number.”
Gabie said they had been sent from pillar to post since Basson was 21.
Home Affairs head of communications David Hlabane told Weekend Argus that Basson should revisit his nearest Home Affairs branch for officials to “verify his ID number if indeed he is a citizen, and was
accordingly registered, then there wouldn’t be a problem in resolving the matter.”
Hlabane said it would be difficult for the department to state how long it could take for Basson’s matter to be resolved.
“The investigation and how long it takes is influenced by the merits of the case and co-operation of the applicant in terms of submitting required evidence/supporting documentation. Where there is a sharing of an identity number, an investigation may take longer,” he said.
Basson has been to the department on three separate occasions and said he would make another trip in the coming week with the hopes of finally having his problem resolved.
“I went to the branch in Soweto extention nine, Maponya Mall and the one here in town. I will go again next week because I need to have this sorted so I can move on with my life,” he said.