Lack of ID smashes top pupil’s varsity dream

Layani Mkansi thought he would one day have the world at his feet after bagging five distinctions in the matric exams in 2021.

But the 20-year-old, who would have qualified to study medicine or engineering at university after achieving A symbols in maths and physical science, cannot enrol because he does not have an identity document.

“I am very sad, disappointed and depressed. My ultimate goal is to get an ID because my life is stuck without it. I can’t even apply for a job because when you fill in a CV you need to put in your ID number,” he told the Sunday Times.

Without an ID, the destitute orphan, who lives with his two younger brothers in a village near Malamulele in Limpopo, cannot apply for funding through the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (Nsfas).

He was born in South Africa but his parents, who are dead, were from Mozambique.

The Legal Resources Centre (LRC) in Makhanda said that according to the South African Citizenship Amendment Act, which came into effect in January 2013, Mkansi is entitled to South African citizenship.

The legislation says children born in the country of parents who are not South African citizens or don’t have permanent residence qualify to apply for citizenship at the age of 18 if they have lived here all their lives. It also states that to qualify for citizenship the applicant’s birth has to be registered in accordance with the Births and Deaths Registration Act.

Mkansi doesn’t have a birth certificate, but the LRC says a Pretoria high court judge ruled last month — in a case brought against the department of home affairs — that this was not a strict requirement for citizenship.

While universities insist that prospective students produce an identity or passport number when applying to study, undocumented pupils from Grade R to matric are allowed to attend school without IDs. Last year there were 6,489 pupils in matric who did not have a South African identity document.

This is because of a landmark ruling in the Makhanda high court in 2019, which found that undocumented non-national children have a right to education and must be granted admission to schools.

Umalusi spokesperson Biki Lepota confirmed that Mkansi was issued with a matric certificate that did not contain an ID number. He studied at Shikundu High.

Mkansi and his brothers rely on neighbours for food as they have no income.

His mother, Sonia, who died last year, told him she had made several unsuccessful attempts to apply for an ID for him at the home affairs office in Malamulele.

He said he had also tried to apply for the document last year but failed.

“I even handed in letters from my primary and high school principals to home affairs that confirmed I was a learner at these schools. Home affairs said they didn’t work with those papers and referred me to social workers.”

Mkansi said that because an online application to study at university would be rejected without an ID number, he completed application forms to study at the University of Johannesburg and University of Pretoria manually in 2021 and posted them.

“I applied to study engineering and teaching for the year 2022. However, I did not receive any response. I have such good symbols but they don’t count for much because I can’t get into university.”

Mkansi said that while his neighbours were not “financially stable” themselves, “they give me whatever food they have”.

“In my village, many people know of our situation. My two brothers get food on weekdays from a home-based care centre which caters for orphans. I go to my friend’s house and stay there the whole day hoping they will bring out some food for me to eat.”

On Thursday, a day after the Sunday Times e-mailed enquiries to home affairs, an official picked up Mkansi at his home and drove him to their offices in Malamulele where he was told that an official who was due to speak to him hadn’t arrived.

“I was told he would communicate with me via my cellphone. A lady at home affairs also called my grandfather to find out where my parents were born.”

The registrar of the University of Johannesburg, professor Kinta Burger, confirmed that prospective students without an ID or passport number would not be able to apply online to study at the institution.

“We are going to reach out to him [Mkansi] through our international office to assist him, but he needs to apply for an ID immediately,” Burger said. She added, however, that it was too late to admit him this year as they were already a month into the academic calendar.

“We would definitely welcome such a student with the achievements he demonstrated. He performed so well under difficult circumstances, particularly in maths and physical science.”

University of Pretoria spokesperson Rikus Delport said prospective students would not be able to complete the application process without an ID or passport number.

Home affairs spokesperson Siya Qoza said he could only comment when he had the facts.