The North West Home Affairs Department has come under heavy criticism for failing to assist two young men who have been struggling to get their identity documents for years
The siblings, from Rankelenyane village, near Mogwase, were forced to collect DNA from their grandmother, who unfortunately died earlier this month.
The department insists that it requested that DNA tests be conducted to prove that they were related to their grandmother.
The Phiri siblings bid farewell to their only caregiver. Their mother disappeared when they were small, making it impossible for the boys to get identity documents.
The Home Affairs Department has been sending the siblings from pillar to post, demanding that they provide DNA evidence that they are related to the woman they call their grandmother.
The department says the aim is to protect the integrity of the population register. The family could not afford to pay for the tests. The siblings finally secured funds but their granny Stephina was admitted to hospital on the day the samples were to be taken. She died two days later.
The siblings’ former teacher, Esther Masinga, who’s been assisting them, says they are disappointed at the department’s conduct.
“The delay caused by the department of home affairs really made them more emotional. Because this has been a struggle since they were in primary school. Now granny is gone. They wanted to do those DNA Tests and another delay occurred due to the raisin funds.”
Social Development MEC, Boitumelo Moilwa, says they will continue to assist the family.
“The DNA has been done. We are just waiting for the results. In 5 weeks when the results come, we are going to take the matter up, expediting the matter with home affairs to make sure that they have the ID documents and the small ones have the birth certificates. But from now onwards, in between. As social development, we’re still going to give them the SRD. SRD is the food parcels that we are going to give them until they receive their IDs.”
Although the family is optimistic that the siblings will finally receive their identity documents, it is sad that their grandmother is not alive to celebrate with them.