South Africa: Child’s adoption blocked by Home Affairs ID deadlock
Published: 19/Aug/2017
Source: The Herald (Port Elizabeth, South Africa)
By Estelle Ellis
Desperate foster parents want minister jailed as department fails to comply with the law
A Port Elizabeth couple – desperate to adopt their much-loved foster child – have asked the high court to jail the minister of home affairs and a number of officials unless they stop blocking the adoption.
The drastic request is a last resort for the four-year-old girl’s foster parents, who have cared for her since she was just 10 days old.
They are asking that the minister and five senior Home Affairs officials be jailed for three months for contempt of court unless they comply with a judge’s order, made last year, for an ID number to be issued for the child.
The couple – who are not being named as they, as well as Legal Aid SA, believe it would not be in the child’s best interests – have been unable to adopt the girl as she has no ID number.
Read further: http://www.heraldlive.co.za/news/2017/08/19/childs-adoption-blocked-home-affairs-id-deadlock/