I am also at a complete loss as to why the department of Home Affairs is running at 68.5 capacity. Forgive me for asking the question, as it seems to be quite silly, but haven't we got an unemployment problem. As far as I know there are over 1 million people out of work, so why are any of the Government Departments having a staffing problem?
It seems like a no-brainer to me!
On the other hand, my reaction would be one of - well you prove that I am not a woman and then go from there. What does her birth certificate say for goodness sake and furthermore what difference does it make. She is the person that she says that she is, surely that should be sufficient!
ID bungle: Prove to us you're a woman
April 13 2007 at 12:36PM
By Sharlene Packree
The last thing Thabisa Lwabi expected when she applied for a new identity document (ID) is that she would be asked to verify whether she was a man or a woman. The gender mystery began two weeks ago when she went to the offices of the Department of Home Affairs in Durban to collect her document. "I was so relieved to be getting my ID," she said.
"It is so difficult these days without one. You always get asked so many questions." But the young mother's relief was short-lived. When she went to her bank to use her saving facility, she was asked to produce her ID.
At last I have one, she thought, no more questions. However, the look on the teller's face told her that something was very wrong. "The man behind the counter was looking at me in a very funny way," she said. While the picture of her was correct, the information was wrong. Instead of her name, it contained the name of a man. Unable to conclude her business, she was advised to go back to Home Affairs and sort out the problem. Easier said than done. According to Home Affairs, a doctor would have to examine her and declare her to be a woman and not a man. Lwabi would then bring the proof back to Home Affairs, who would then be able to rectify the mistake."I couldn't believe what I was hearing. I was so shocked. Where must I get the money to go to the doctor?" she asked, humiliated at the prospect of verifying her gender. "They can surely see by my shape that I am a female. I am a mother and have given birth. How can this sort of thing happen? I feel so embarrassed to go to a doctor. What would they think of such a request?"
Home affairs officials, when contacted about Lwabi's gender mix-up, said that they would look into the case. Meanwhile, the question on Lwabi's mind is who is the young man mentioned in her ID and does he have her personal information in his ID? "I wonder if he has been asked to prove whether he is a woman or a man," said Lwabi. In other media reports it was revealed that the provincial department was plagued with fraud, corruption, mismanagement and inadequacy of staff members, particularly among managerial staff. There were only 567 Home Affairs staff in the province, serving more than nine million people. The department is operating with 68.5 percent of their posts vacant, an issue they said they wanted to resolve by the end of the year.
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