Joseph Khathutshelo Nelushi (50), originally from Hamudimeli in the Nzhelele area, has finally been able to collect his new identity card — ending more than three decades of hardship caused by identity fraud.
In the early 1990s, a foreign national stole Nelushi's birth certificate and used it to obtain an identity document fraudulently. This left him unable to access essential services, such as opening a bank account, applying for housing, renewing his driver's licence or securing employment.
Following media exposure and direct engagement with the Department of Home Affairs, Nelushi received an SMS instructing him to collect his new smart ID card, which he has now done.
Earlier this month, the department confirmed that its investigation had found a foreign national from Zimbabwe had stolen Nelushi's birth certificate in 1994 to obtain an ID fraudulently.
"I am very happy after all these years of suffering. My children did not have my surname, but now I will change that for them. I want to reclaim my RDP house in Musina, which was applied for under my name and surname. However, someone else obtained the house, using a duplicated ID, while I was left without it," he said.
Nelushi said he wanted everything acquired under his identity returned to him. "Recently, I opened a new account at Capitec Bank, something I was previously unable to do," he said.
Vhembe police spokesperson W/O Vuledzani Dathi said that when the police checked Nelushi's ID number, they found it belonged to a man named Khathutshelo Joseph Nelushi. He was arrested, along with three others, on 16 May 2025 in Musina. The charges relate to suspected possession of stolen property, under SAPS Musina case number 255/05/2025.
Home Affairs spokesperson Thulani Mavuso told Limpopo Mirror that the fraudulent identity number had been deactivated on 24 February 2004 to prevent further misuse. He said the fraudster may have exploited the manual verification of fingerprints.
The department has since strengthened its systems by introducing the Home Affairs National Identification System and the secure Live Capture system for producing smart ID cards.
"These measures are designed to combat identity theft and fraudulent activities, such as those related to housing and social grants. It was found that a foreign national applied, using a birth certificate that did not belong to him, and no employee was found to have been negligent," Mavuso said.