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Home Affairs: Three years later, still no ID

Source: Mandla Mahashe � News 24, 06/08/2015

Many people savour and praise the turnaround time for ID applications
and improved service at various home affairs offices, a Langa woman
has had no luck with her own application.
Phumelela Lumnkwana, 19, said she had applied for an ID at the
Khayelitsha Home Affairs office in December 2012.
At the time, she was living in Ilitha Park in Khayelitsha.
She said that she was told that the application process would take
between two and four weeks, but she is yet to receive her ID book.
"After I applied, I went to the Eastern Cape for the holidays with the
hope that by the time I came back I will have the document.
But when I went there at the end of January I was told that the
application was still in progress. I was a bit disappointed, but I
decided to give it some time," said Lumnkwana.
She said that she was very upset when she went back in February 2013
and found that the application was still not through yet.
"So I decided to ring the call centre and I was shocked to learn that
they could not even find my application form in their system. I went
back to the offices and they told me that they were working on it,"
she said.
Lumnkwana said that this was the start of her frustrations as she had
been sent from pillar to post, with no prospect of success.
She said that she suspects that a mix up has happened at the
Khayelitsha office and that it would not be the first time.
"Last year, I changed my name on my birth certificate. I had the same
problem with the call centre saying that they couldn`t find my
application. When I went back to the office, I discovered that my
application wasn`t submitted by the official that was handling it,"
she told City Vision.
She said that she was fortunate that the problem was solved and that
she was worried that she will turn out like the many that have waited
for years to get their Ids.
"Im trying to apply at universities and it`s a problem as they want me
to explain why I don`t have an ID.
I would love to work but where would I start as many places require a
copy of the ID," she said.
She was lucky that she had two loving parents that support her and
that she thinks about the people who need Ids for work purposes. "It
really puts one`s life on hold as you can`t do nothing without an ID
book and I hope that they will sort it out soon."
Several attempts by City Vision to solicit a comment from the Home
affairs were unsuccessful as the department failed to reply to emails

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