On Tuesday morning, about 200 residents from Khayelitsha marched to the Department of Home Affairs to air their concerns about the slow processing of birth certificates and IDs.
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The group made their way to the regional home affairs office in Khayelitsha peacefully under the watchful eye of local police. Sinathemba Mtheza, a community activist, says the community is tired of waiting for the department to process legal documentation. In some cases, she says, residents have waited for IDs since 2013, while some parents who have not received birth certificates for their children can not register for social grants.
‘We organised this march because we are tired of the department’s empty promises, saying they will assist the residents with their concerns. Each month, it’s a different story with the officials. Enough is enough. We cannot let this become the norm. Our people need their documentation urgently.’
She adds that even though arrangements with management have previously been made, the problem still persists. ‘They lied to us. The management team has reneged on their promises to us, and so as a community, we decided we would no longer listen to their lies, and now we have come to their offices to demand action – and answers. They are holding our documentation illegally.’
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Khanya Mtshoniswa, a 28-year-old resident of Khayelitsha, told News24 that it feels as if she does not exist in the country because she has never had an ID or birth certificate. ‘I moved from the Eastern Cape as a young teenager, hoping to get some sort of assistance from the department this side, but nothing has come from it. Whenever I walk the long distance from my home in Khayelitsha to the department, I am always disappointed because there is never a satisfying answer.’
Mtshoniswa says she has never worked as potential employers won’t hire her because she has no documentation to confirm her identity. ‘I am embarrassed to say I live in this province because, as a young woman, I can’t even take care of myself because I don’t work, and I can’t apply for social grants. The stress is just too much for me.’
The group signed and handed a memorandum over to home affairs district manager Bongiwe Sakawuli, who also signed the document. ‘We take note of the memorandum and commit to responding within 14 days,’ Sakawuli added.
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