KHUBVI - A local schoolteacher got the shock of his life when Home Affairs mistakenly issued him with an Identity Document with the picture of a woman he does not even know.

Mr Rudzani Peter Mutele (36) of Khubvi village outside Thohoyandou said the mix-up has brought sorrow and misery in his life, as he cannot access his bank accounts or other services. Mirror is in possession of the copy of Mutele’s ID which has correct ID numbers and date of birth, but the picture of a woman tells a different story.

Mutele, an English teacher at Tshivhase Secondary School near Donald Fraser Hospital, said his trouble started when he lost his ID book in July last year. “I went to Home Affairs’ Makwarela Offices to apply for a new ID with the hope that my life would be easier with another ID. In December, I got a message from the local traditional leader that my ID had been delivered to his home as Home Affairs does in rural villages. I nearly fainted when I opened the ID, only to find that the picture was that of a woman whom I have never seen in my life.”

Mutele said he is afraid that someone might be using another ID with his photo somewhere. “I’m afraid the mix-up might cause some problems if someone is using my photo. All the details in my ID were correct and the ID number was the same as that of the lost ID, but the problem was the photo…”

Mutele said he had a bleak Christmas holiday, as he could not even access his bank accounts due to the ID mix-up. “I was turned away when I produced the ID in several places including banks because they thought I was fraudulently using someone’s ID to acquire services. My life has been turned into misery and I believe I must not suffer like this because of someone’s mistake.”

Mutele said he went to the Home Affairs Offices at Makwarela to report the matter where he was given a new application form to fill and he was told that his problem would be attended to urgently. “I will not rest until the mistake is rectified because this is affecting my life seriously."

The Head of Civic Affairs at Makwarela Home Affairs, Mr Mmboneni Mphigalale, said mistakes like that happens as the department works with bundles of applications. “We encounter such mistakes but they are rectified urgently so that the applicants can get their personal documents with correct information. The department is working hard to make sure that citizens are getting excellent service. People with mistaken personal documents like Mutele must quickly come to our offices for assistance and we will gladly speed up their assistance,” said Mphigalale.