A mix-up with an identification number has left Port Elizabeth’s Micheal Hani a dead man walking who is unable to vote or secure a full-time job.
Hani, 56, of New Brighton, had his life turned upside down in 2001.
He discovered that he shares the same name and identification number as a man declared dead.
“I don’t know what is going to happen when I actually die,” Hani said.
“The death of this other Micheal Hani is costing me my life.”
Home Affairs has been unable to explain the reason for the bungle so Hani turned to the Legend Freedom Advisory Centre & Forensic Investigators for help.
Mawande Mabunzi, an investigator at the agency, said he had lodged a query with Home Affairs on February 26.
“These kind of mistakes are becoming a Home Affairs culture and it seems officials don’t know what they are doing,” he said.
Mabunzi said the last he had heard from Home Affairs had been last month and the issue had been lodged with the head office in Pretoria.
“We were told the matter is still with Home Affairs and we must check again in a month,” he said.
But the 17-year wait has started to have severe implications for Hani after his former employer picked up the error.
In 2001, Midas – an automotive service centre in North End – verified all its employees driver’s licences and his identification number came back as invalid.
“I rushed to Home Affairs to check what was wrong,” Hani said.
He was told he shared an identification number with another Micheal Hani, who had died. It is not clear when this Hani died.
“I was promised the error would be fixed.
“As a result of all this they even gave me another ID book.”
He was later fired by Midas for not reporting to work.
Hani said he had thought the error was fixed until he tried to vote in the local government elections in 2016.
“An IEC official first told me I was not registered to vote in New Brighton and when they checked further they told me I was already dead. I went back to Home Affairs to see for myself if I was really declared dead.
“Another official told me that in 2001 the issue had never been fixed.
“When I asked why no one knew. I sometimes think this other Hani was a fraud.”
He applied for the late registration of a birth certificate in October 2016 to try to fix the issue, but has been waiting since then.
“The officials told me that after six months everything would be cleared and now it’s almost two years with no birth certificate or valid ID book,” he said.
Hani said he was worried the bungle could have an impact for his wife, Noluthando, 45, son, Mlamli, 13, and daughter, Mihlali, 10, once he died.
“I don’t know what is going to happen when I actually die,” he said.
“I might also not get to vote again. Home Affairs is depriving me of my right to vote.”
Despite not having a valid identification number, Hani said he survived by doing parttime work.
“No one would ever want to hire a dead man. If I had the means I would hire a lawyer to sue the department,” he said.
Home Affairs spokesman Thabo Mokgola said the issue was being investigated.
“The matter has been referred to the provincial manager for Home Affairs in the Eastern Cape, who has delegated officials to contact the client with a view to gather further information and assist in resolving the case,” he said.
Mokgola said the department would also investigate the duplication of identity numbers.