WHEN she tried to use a cheaper way to get her surname changed about four years ago, she had no idea she was getting herself into trouble.
Carol Mbhense (39) from Shayamoya in Shaka’s Kraal, northern KZN, said her attempt to change her surname from Mbhense to Zungu after finding her dad’s family in 2012 has caused her more problems.
“I decided to pose as a new applicant as I couldn’t afford the R325 needed to change a surname.”
She said officials told her that her application would take 18 months to process. “When I went to check I discovered that my ID, which had the Mbhense surname, was blocked. Since then life has been hard. I can’t even apply for a job because of the ID problem. My seven-year-old daughter’s social grant has also been stopped.”
Thabo Mokgola of Home Affairs said: “We do block clients in such cases. This is because of many fraudulent incidents that have taken toll in Mzansi.” He said clearing the matter may take a while, but he’ll instruct officials to look into it.