KANYAMAZANE – A 60-year-old man had the shock of his life when he discovered that he had been declared dead by the Department of Home Affairs.
“After my wife passed away in 2011, my life became a nightmare because I could not get a job so that I could take care of my five children.
This whole drama started during a visit to home affairs offices to collect my passport where I was told that I was buried in March 2009. I could not believe my ears. They even issued my death certificate,” explained Mr David Gumede.
He tried to explain that he was still very much alive but to no avail. “I have tried everything but it seems as if I am fighting a losing battle because they are sending me from pillar to post. Clearly, they don’t understand how this problem complicates my life.
I can’t even put food on the table for my kids or pay their school fees. Sengihluphekile ngehla ngenyuka sekwanele, I can’t take it anymore.”
Gumede added he couldn’t even claim his money from his previous employer because of this problem.
According to the Department of Home Affairs, cases such as this are a result of people working with doctors to complete documentation to declare someone dead so they can benefit.
“As a department we have nothing to do with this. All we get is a sealed envelope with a filled form confirming somebody’s death,” said Mr Robert Zitha of home affairs.
The department has advised Gumede to visit the local home affairs offices to have his name cleared.
“This process is very long and he should therefore make sure to follow-up all the time to see that it is attended to, because we do not have investigators to handle matters such as these,” he added.
