A 24-year-old agent at an administration firm in Thohoyandou received the shock of his life when he was told he owed a local loan company an amount of R5 000. As if that was not enough, he also learned that a business account has been opened using his identity document.

Khumbudzo Walter Raphalalani, of Gunda village outside Thohoyandou, who is also a traditional healer, said his mother received a call on the 27th of March this year from one of the cash loans businesses in Thohoyandou. They were complaining that he was not accepting their calls and that he had reneged on his promise to pay back his loan.

"I was so shocked that I decided to go and find out from the company and what I found there shocked me to the bone," he said. He said that, on his arrival, the attendants told him that he was not the one who had made the loan. "They showed me a copy of my ID, but it had a different photo, someone with dreadlocks," he said.

Raphalalani has since reported the matter to the Department of Home Affairs, the police and the bank.

"I am worried that my name has been tarnished. I will be regarded as a defaulter and will not qualify for loans. I am now regarded as a bad guy," he said. He said he would like to see the man arrested and that he should pay for his sins.

"I want my name cleared. People should know that I am not a bad person who goes around robbing people. I am a traditional healer who makes an honest living," he said.