TSHIMBUPFE – A pensioner from the rural area of Thondoni in the Tshimbupfe area cannot get her pension grant with other grannies, due to a mistake in her former Venda ID book.

According to Mrs Nyanisi Mabasa her real age is 73, but according to the old Venda ID she is carrying, she is only 57. Since 1990, she has lost a lot of money in attempts to rectify her real age at the offices of the Department of Home Affairs in Vuwani, Makwarela, Makhado and Pretoria.

However, up to today, she has not yet received her correct ID book. Her first-born daughter, Mrs Mamaila Ngobeni, is fifty years old, which makes it rather impossible that her first-born can be only seven years younger than she is.

She also stated that, during the time when she applied for an ID, the officers predicted her age, because she was not in possession of any proof like a birth certificate. "That is why many old pensioners are being robbed by their age," she said.

"Unfortunately, I'm one of those pensioners who is being robbed by the age the officials gave me. I'm totally tired to go up and down to rectify the mistake, without getting anything done," she said.

A vulnerable Mrs Mabasa added that she had submitted all the needed documents to the department, "but it is useless, because I have not yet received a real age ID document. The Department of Home Affairs, however, is collecting my money. What I need is to get a pension grant," said Mabasa.

The spokesperson of the Department of Home Affairs, Mr Lesley Mashokwe, declined to comment.