By: Zethu Gweva
Tshoki Dyantyi, 40, from Makhwekweni in Cambridge Location does not have an identity document and that resulted in her five children, not having birth certificates and not being able to proceed to the next grades.
Speaking to BCM News, Dyantyi said since 1999, she has wanted an ID document and when she went to Home Affairs she was told to bring her mother who she has not seen or heard from since 1995.
She added that her children are suffering as they do not benefit from what the government gives other children at school and they cannot proceed to other grades without birth certificates.
“My children don’t get books and uniforms because they don’t appear in the database as they don’t have birth certificates,” she Dyantyi.
After Priscilia Gobingca also from Makhwenkweni Cambridge Location learn’t about Dtyatyi’s problem she decided to assist her by pleading with the school to allow the children to attend classes.
“These children do not benefit anything from what other children from the school receive which are things like books. They only eat from the school’s feeding scheme even though they should not but because they are children we cannot allow them to watch other children eat as they too depend on the meal at the school,” said Gwebingca.
Department of Social Development Spokesperson Gcobani Maswana said a birth certificate gives a person a key to getting an identity document and will get government benefits such as social grants, housing and attend school.
He said the department officials will investigate these cases and added that if a case cannot be solved at a district level, it must be taken to the provincial office or call the Eastern Cape Social Development customer care line on 043 605 5441.
BCM News could not reach the Department of Education Spokesperson Malibongwe Mtima for a comment.