Home Affairs told to consider case of stateless Lesotho-born man living in SA for 40 years
Published: 8/Sep/2022
Source: Pretoria News / IOL
By Zelda Venter
Pretoria – A man who has lived in South Africa for 40 years after he fled here in the early 1980s following the political assassination of his father is one step closer to officially calling the country his home.
He had been rendered stateless, both here and in his country of birth, Lesotho. This meant that he could not work lawfully here or open a bank account.
Identified only as Mr K, as he asked the Pretoria News not to divulge his identity (although he did not mind his picture being published), he had been unsuccessful in his struggle with Home Affairs for several years to provide him with an identity.
The department ignored his pleas, and he turned to the Gauteng High Court, Pretoria this week in a bid to be heard. The court ordered the department to consider his application to legalise his stay here within 30 days.