Cape Town – A Nigerian father of three who has a Master’s Degree in Business Administration, was forced to work in flea markets to support his family while waiting for 20 years to gain South African citizenship after his identity document was blocked.
This week, after waiting for two decades, Emmanuel Udekwe, 53, and his partner, Emarelda Dodgen, 51, were finally invited to Home Affairs in Barack Street, Cape Town following communication from the Weekend Argus.
They met with officials and his fingerprints were recaptured and documentation filled in for a full audit and investigation.
Spokesperson for Home Affairs Siyabulela Qoza, confirmed the issue was receiving their attention, and that they were trying to resolve it.
“Mr Emmanuel Udekwe has been invited to our office to provide documents and fingerprints. This is part of the process to resolve the matter. The department will keep Mr Udekwe updated on progress,” Qoza said.
The couple has been unable to get married, and Udekwe unable to find permanent employment or in his field, while their last-born child has not been registered under his father’s surname.
Armed with paperwork and a full logbook on events, the couple has appointed several lawyers, and met with immigration officials between 2009 until present.
Udekwe was first married to a South African woman in 2002 and their marriage ended in 2006.
He had received his first South African identity document in 2004, a year after he had applied for his citizenship.
After his divorce in 2006, Udekwe met his partner and they had two children in 2007 and 2009 who were registered with their father’s surname.
In 2009 he received a telephone call to visit Home Affairs offices in Cape Town to sign a letter in relation to his residence, dating back to 2006.
In 2009, while awaiting feedback, they approached an immigration lawyer and discovered in 2011 that while attempting to apply for his children’s passports, that his ID was blocked.
They met with various lawyers and completed affidavits and spent thousands of rands.
Udekwe said they were tired of the run around and wanted answers, and his identity back.
“This story needs to be published.We were only contacted by Home Affairs again after the media got involved.
“We went through the same process as before, having the fingerprints taken, and what is going to happen now, are they going to ask for another week? This needs to be sorted out,” he said.
Dodgen said their family was left humiliated and broke during the whole process.
“The fact that they left him with no status and blocked his ID, and now we hear there is the possible lapse of his permanent residency.
“But the fact that he was left with nothing, we could not buy a house, we could not get married or put our children into good schools, and he could not earn a living to support his family.
“The pain and suffering, the media was our last resort.
“Last year was the worst, this man with a degree had to work in a flea market to try and support his family and it is humiliating.
“He cannot work because of his blocked ID, when were they going to do it, when he is on pension?”
“They need to compensate us while we were placed on hold, three children, two with his surname and one without.
“We are living in debt and cannot afford our bills or even our rent.
“They refused for him to cancel his application and start afresh and said he must go back to his own country. Now they want to wake up because they are scared of the media?” Dodgen said.
Weekend Argus