Ms Marie Shepherd swears that she will not return to the Home Affairs offices.
The Home Affairs in the Central Business District area is filled with pensioners who go and get their pension money and are there for other documentation purposes. On March 6 Shepherd was at the Home Affairs offices to apply for her identity card, changing it from the green ID booklet that is being currently phased out. She just expected to fill in forms and be told when to come and collect her card.
Unfortunately Shepherd got more than what she had gone for at the Home Affairs. As she was exiting the building Shepherd claims that an unknown man ran towards her and grabbed at her bag, trying to make off with it. However, the reluctant old lady said she protected her bag with dear life as she had her other documents and cards in there that she could not afford to lose it. As she was apparently fighting off the man, her cell phone rang in her jacket and the man immediately grabbed at it and ran off, passed security.
“There was a man and a woman standing just outside the door. They tried to scream for help but no one came to help me,” said Shepherd. She also added that as she spoke with the security guards at the gate she was told by them that the do not work for Home Affairs but the Department of Labour, and apparently because of that they refused to help the old lady.
Shepherd is almost 77-years-old and being that age she has had a hip-replacement before and because of the attack at the Home Affairs Department, she said her doctor has given her some weeks to see how her injuries heal, otherwise she will have to go for another hip replacement.
The Department of Home Affairs’ Office Manager, Mr Sello Selekane said that he is unaware of the incident and said he will investigate what actually happened on that day. In conclusion, Selekane did confirm that the security guards of the Home Affairs Department normally stand inside the entrance of the department and those at the gate are there for the Department of Labour. “I will be in contact with the elderly lady and find out what transpired and I will come back to you,” concluded Selekane.
