SA-born woman declared illegal immigrant

“I was born at a clinic in Phoenix and when I called the clinic, they actually told me that they do not keep documents for such a long period,” she said.

Mayville resident, Summaya Bi-Bi Ismail was shocked when she found out she was an illegal immigrant.

A Mayville mother of three is frustrated and angry after discovering that her Identity Book number had been blocked and she has been declared an illegal immigrant by the Home Affairs Department, Overport Rising Sun reports.

Account administrator, Summaya Bi-Bi Ismail, 32, said she made the shocking discovery when she went to open a savings account at one of the banks on Monday.

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“I was told that my ID number had been blocked by the Home Affairs Department, and I could not open the savings account until I sort out the issue with the department. I called the department numerous times and received no joy. I then decided to go to their offices to find out what is happening. I gave them my ID number and I was told that I am registered as an illegal immigrant on their system. I was then sent to the immigration department,” said Ismail.

Ismail added that she was told in order to have her issue resolved, she has to go to her place of birth to get documentation to prove that she was actually born in South Africa.

“I was born at a clinic in Phoenix and when I called the clinic, they actually told me that they do not keep documents for such a long period,” she said.

Ismail added that the Immigration Department instructed her to also go to the school where she started her schooling career to prove that she actually went there and to see the local councillor with her mother, to get an affidavit. She would have to take all these documents to the department to be sent to Pretoria for further investigation.

“My mother had found my original ID so I went back to the department and I was told that I have to follow procedure and do as I was previously instructed,” said the irate resident.

“I am very angry at the department because I am now paying for a mistake they had made. This whole process is time consuming. All I want is to have my ID number back to normal so I can process my documents and live a normal life again,” said Ismail.

Home Affairs Department, KZN provincial manager, Cyril Mncwabe said, “I cannot comment much on this issue at the moment as such cases have to be investigated as to how and why the ID is blocked.”