Young woman a ‘ghost’ in system as she fights with home affairs for ID

Twenty-one-year-old Marvin Mashele’s dream of completing her education is slipping away as a routine application for a South African identity document has devolved into a four-year battle with the department of home affairs.

​The ordeal began in 2022 at the White River home affairs office.

Mashele was shocked to discover that her birth certificate was already linked to an existing ID and passport documents, which she maintains she never applied for or received.

​“I took the situation seriously when it became more confusing,” Mashele said.

Mashele told TimesLIVE the ID duplication is not only affecting her education but also her personal life.

According to Mashele, officials also refused to register her newborn child under the father’s details in January 2023.

“White River home affairs officials told me that before they can proceed with the registration of my child under his father’s name, I should fix the issue of my ID first.”

Mashele noted that, despite a formal interview in January 2023 where her details were seemingly verified, she was repeatedly referred back and forth between the White River and Hazyview offices.

​“During one visit to Hazyview, the situation turned hostile when officials interrogated my mother and father in a separate room, even threatening my mother with arrest under the false accusation that she was not my biological parent,” Mashele recalled.

​While her mother was eventually cleared through biometric verification and her father completed numerous forms allegedly destined for the head office in Pretoria, the process remains stalled.

Mashele says she is trapped in a loop of unfulfilled promises, with officials repeatedly claiming the application is simply “not yet ready”.

Mashele was excluded from completing her matric at Lungisani Secondary School because she could not be issued an examination number without a valid ID.

Her attempt to enrol at Khanyisani Secondary School this year was also unsuccessful, as she is now considered over age and still lacks the required documentation.

​“I can’t even apply for job opportunities because of this situation,” she said.

​Mashele’s mother Dudu Ngomane said she has been fighting this battle for her daughter since 2022.

“When we visited the White River office, we were informed that my daughter’s ID document was issued together with a passport document in Nkomazi and already being used by individuals living in Komatipoort,” said Ngomane.

Ngomane said the battle for documentation has taken a heavy emotional toll on her daughter.

“My daughter’s struggle has pushed our family to the breaking point. She should be at university now like other children, studying for a career to help our family get out of this struggle,” she said.

​Ngomane and Mashele had to go through tests to prove that they were actually mother and daughter.

“I struggle with money, and I was forced to use the last of what I had to pay for transport to travel to the Hazyview office. My daughter is being left out of everything. She can’t find a job, which keeps our family trapped in poverty.”

​Home affairs spokesperson David Hlabane said the department was committed to resolving Mashele’s matter urgently.

He maintained that a formal verification process was essential to rectify “biometric duplication”.

​“To finalise the investigation, the department has requested that Mashele visit a branch to provide manual fingerprints for comparison,” he said.

He said a sworn affidavit from her parents detailing her history, copies of both parents’ identity documents and a formal letter of consent are required during the visit.

Hlabane promised that a dedicated official would be appointed to oversee the case and ensure it is resolved without further delay.

TimesLIVE