A LIMPOPO man still does not have an identity document after applying for it during the last days of apartheid.

Matome Komana, 35, has now gone 16 years into the democratic South Africa, without the document.

Komana of Laastehoop in GaMolepo outside Polokwane first applied in 1991 when he was 16 years old.

Komana said when he went to fetch his document in Polokwane a few weeks later he was told to submit a new application because officials at Home Affairs said the first application could not be traced.

He applied again, but the problem persisted.

Komana said for all these years he was told the same story and had to apply for a new ID every six months without success.

It was only in 2008 that he was told to bring letters from the school he attended, the local traditional authority and one from a social worker.

He was also told to bring a guardian to assist him with the application.

"I did everything but even today I still don't have my ID despite the promises and being shafted from one place to the other."

Komana said he was worried. Most of his peers were progressing in life but he could not because he had no ID.

He said it has turned out that his mother had two ID numbers, hence the delay.

"But I cannot be held responsible for Home Affairs' bungles," he said.

Home Affairs Department spokesperson in Limpopo Sam Moremi said they regretted that Komana had to wait so long.

He promised to speed up the process.