By Masoka Dube
Tebogo Khoza from Thabazimbi in Limpopo lives a life of squalor as the Department of Home Affairs refuses to issue him with documentation even though he has proof that he was born in South Africa.
Khoza, 25, was born in Malelane, Mpumalanga and grew up at an orphanage in Thabazimbi Limpopo.
He said he tried to convince the department that he is a South African but instead of verifying his facts the department officials told him to get his documentation from Swaziland, which is where his grandmother comes from.
“I was denied entry into Swaziland as I am not a Swazi national and I must produce my South African identity document,” he told Scrolla.Africa.
“I was later informed that the Lawyers for Human Rights (LHR) wanted to assist me. We are waiting for the North Gauteng Division of the High Court to decide on the matter. I pray every night that the court rules in my favour,” said Khoza.
“My life is a mess. I don’t have a bank account. I don’t have anything.”
He said if this problem continues his five-year-old daughter will face the same problem.
“I’m only surviving because the owners of the orphanage that I grew up at are very good people as they managed to get me a job at the game reserve and I stay there full-time,” he said.
Nothando Shongwe from LHR says Khoza has the right to be a South African citizen as their investigations revealed that he was born in the country.
She says that even though his birth was not registered by his parents the law allows him to have documentation.
“Through no fault of his own, Mr Khoza has been deprived of birth registration and citizenship since birth, which the new constitutional dispensation centralises and strongly protects against,” said Shongwe.
She said judgement has been reserved in Khoza’s cases.
Department of Home Affairs Spokesperson Siyabulela Qoza did not respond to questions sent to him via email and WhatsApp.
Pictured above: Tebogo Khoza
Image source: Supplied
