LETSWAMARE Malepe and Mahlaku Sekgobela applied for identity documents at the same place in a Limpopo village in 2003 and, three months later when they went to collect their documents, they discovered that their details had been interchanged.
Malepe, 37, had applied for a new ID to replace the worn out one he had had since 1991. But his new document had his picture, but the name, surname and ID number belonged to Sekgobela.
On the day he applied for the new ID in 2003 at GaMametja village in Sekororo, Malepe said he was in the queue with Sekgobela, an elderly woman from the same village.
"I went to her home to try and clarify this. I discovered that Sekgobela's ID also had the same problem."
Malepe told Sowetan that he had lost hope that the problem would ever be resolved. He said they both went to Home Affairs offices in Tzaneen to get the details rectified, but only Sekgobela's ID was corrected.
Malepe said he was told his fingerprints did not match those he had initially submitted in 1991.
Spokesperson for Home Affairs in Limpopo, Sam Moremi, said yesterday they would give Malepe's case priority.
ID mix-up man loses hope
LETSWAMARE Malepe and Mahlaku Sekgobela applied for identity documents at the same place in a Limpopo village in 2003 and, three months later when they went to collect their documents, they discovered that their details had been interchanged.
Malepe, 37, had applied for a new ID to replace the worn out one he had had since 1991. But his new document had his picture, but the name, surname and ID number belonged to Sekgobela.
On the day he applied for the new ID in 2003 at GaMametja village in Sekororo, Malepe said he was in the queue with Sekgobela, an elderly woman from the same village.
"I went to her home to try and clarify this. I discovered that Sekgobela's ID also had the same problem."
Malepe told Sowetan that he had lost hope that the problem would ever be resolved. He said they both went to Home Affairs offices in Tzaneen to get the details rectified, but only Sekgobela's ID was corrected.
Malepe said he was told his fingerprints did not match those he had initially submitted in 1991.
Spokesperson for Home Affairs in Limpopo, Sam Moremi, said yesterday they would give Malepe's case priority.