Download PDFFor many migrants living in South Africa, the lack of legal documents to prove their identities is a source of constant stress and anxiety. Without these important documents, every day becomes challenging, and opportunities for a better life seem small.
Veronica Makhubela, 21, from Mozambique, has been living in South Africa for over 15 years. She moved from her home country because after her parents’ deaths, to live with her aunt, who was already staying in South Africa. Makhubela has made many efforts to apply for scholarships, learnerships, and bursaries, but she has been unable to obtain South African identity documents, which denied her the opportunities to study further.
According to Makhubela, she attended school in South Africa from grade one to grade 12, but she could not further her studies. Makhubela says that she was very proud to access primary and secondary school even without legal documents and had hope that she would be able to further her studies after matric. She says this is because many migrant learners who don’t have the South African ID dropped out of school while still in primary. Others did so in high school, many thinking that they would never reach matric anyway. This is partly because of the requirements for a learner to sit for exams, in a lot of cases as ID is needed.
The 21-year-old is grateful that her aunt fought hard for her to do matric and was always motivating her to go to school despite the struggles she was facing.
Paulina Makhubela, 56, who is Veronica’s aunt, is a resident in Swaneville, west of Johannesburg, and says that she has tried her best to help Veronica obtain South African documentation but has failed. At the Department of Home Affairs branch she went to; she alleges that they accused her of stealing Veronica. They say that Veronica is not her child, demanding that she and Veronica provide DNA evidence proving that they are related.
The Makhubelas feel discouraged about the DNA process, especially since the test itself needs them to have a lot of money to pay for it. Aunt Makhubela has now put the process on hold because she is unemployed and does not have the money.
Mrs Makhubela feels that this DNA test is pointless because they have all the proof that Veronica is not stolen. They have been living together since her parents passed away. She has the death certificates of Veronica’s parents.
Mrs Makhubela expressed her pride that her daughter passed matric with a bachelor pass, and she is looking forward to raising the money that is needed so that Veronica can fix her documents and have a brighter future to also take care of them.
Richard Munyaradzi, a 29-year-old Zimbabwean national who has been living in South Africa for over 5 years now. Munyaradzi says that he left Zimbabwe for South Africa to look for greener pastures. He says that in Zimbabwe it’s harder to make ends meet and that there are fewer job opportunities for people there.
Munyaradzi says that he imagined that in South Africa, his life would be easier since there are more job opportunities here. Sadly, the lack of an ID document has made his life a constant struggle. He makes money from small contracts building houses helping his boss do the work. Munyaradzi also does plumbing jobs and more when his boss gets tenders. Seeing the police in South Africa is the stuff of nightmare for migrants like Munyaradzi, though he knows that he did not do anything wrong. He is always worried that they might arrest and send him back to the country he left to have a better chance at life.
The struggles that migrants such as Veronica Makhubela and Richard Munyaradzi face are not unheard of. Thousands of migrants from other parts of the world living in South Africa face similar challenges. Many are trapped in a cycle of poverty and uncertainty, though some will try to fight poverty by opening small businesses for themselves. This also leads to new challenges as some vocal citizens accuse them of taking opportunities away from them when in fact, they are the ones creating opportunities. Most migrants are willing to take risks and work hard to build better lives for themselves. The accusations of job theft are not only unfair but also misguided.
The lack of ID documents also makes immigrants vulnerable to exploitation. Some are forced to work for low wages or engage in illegal activities, while others are used as scapegoats for crimes committed by those who have documents.
Migrants are not taking jobs away from South Africans, but they are creating new opportunities and stimulating economic growth. It’s time for South Africans to wake up and realise that migrants are not the enemy; instead, they need to work together to build a more inclusive and prosperous society.
Despite the challenges, migrants without ID remain determined to build a better life for themselves and their families. Their stories are a testament to the determination of migrants living in South Africa. Despite the obstacles, they remain focused despite what people say, and many are hopeful for a brighter future.
This article is an opinion piece submitted on 15 March 2025. The views expressed by the author do not necessarily reflect those of Karibu! Online or Khanya College. You may republish this article, so long as you credit the authors and Karibu! Online (www.Karibu.org.za), and do not change the text. Please include a link back to the original article.
