Born in but stateless in South Africa: Many young people in Mpumalanga – most of them descendants of Mozambicans who fled the civil war – are in limbo because they don’t have identity documents and birth certificates
“I failed to continue with my studies because I don’t have,” said Vuma. “My mother and I have visited different home affairs offices trying to get an identity book, but they turned us down.”
Vuma and his siblings are struggling to make ends meet because their mother is the only one in the family who is employed. Carlota Vuma, 56, arrived in South Africa in the 1970s with her parents, but has also not been able to obtain a South African identity book. “Times are hard. We have interacted with a lot of government officials, especially those from home affairs trying to get help, but we did not win,” he said.
LHR legal researcher Tshegofatso Mothapo confirmed receipt of the letter and undertook to try and get to the bottom of the matter. “The effects of statelessness can be severe as it can adversely influence a person’s ability to access basic human rights and to participate fully in the economic, social and political life of a country they live in and consider home. Nationality is an entry point to access other rights and is described as the right to have rights,” Mothapo added.
When contacted for comment about the vaccination issue, Dumusani Malamule, the spokesperson for the Mpumalanga health department, and Foster Mohale, of the national department of health, appeared to contradict each other. Malamule said no one would be vaccinated without documentation, but Mohale said everyone would be vaccinated.
These include, but are not limited to, the right to education, employment and housing. It also guarantees stateless people a right to identity, travel documents and administrative assistance.”
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