Good news for gran

Gets new ID after 41 years

A LIMPOPO granny, who lost her ID 41 years ago, is on cloud nine after she got a new one yesterday.

Mjaji Nwa-George Layisa of the Maphophe village of chief Shilungwa Cydrick Mhinga in Malamulele, lost her ID in 1960 when she and her family were living at Lukalo outside Thohoyandou.

She had approached Home Affairs offices on several occasions for a replacement but to no avail.

Sowetan first wrote about her plight on June 4 last year.

Her family complained that since she had no ID it was impossible to organise funeral cover for her.

They were worried that when she died, it would be difficult to raise money for her burial.

Her son George Layisa, 65, himself a pensioner, said: "I am no longer working and my mother is sickly and I have spent a lot of money sending her to doctors.

"This means that if she dies before me it would be difficult to give her a decent burial."

And because of not having an ID, she has not been able to get an old age pension grant like other grannies.

Yesterday an excited George Layisa called Sowetan after his mother received another ID.

"My mother will not die without getting a pension grant like others. God has answered my prayers," Layisa said.

She was entitled to a pension grant at the age of 65, but will now get it for the first time at the age of 86.

"I am happy I will be like others. I almost died of heart attack because this affected me when others received a grant while I did not," the granny said.