Pupil tries suicide over ID delay

A PIETERMARITZBURG matric pupil who tried to commit suicide this week blamed the Department of Home Affairs in the note he left for his family as he had waited seven months for a smart ID. Without it, he can’t write his final exams which start next week.

The boy, an orphan who cannot be named because at 17 he is a minor, tried to hang himself in a field near his home on Tuesday night.

His aunt found him trying to place a noose around his neck.

Department spokesperson Thabo Mokgola yesterday said the department’s head of civic services, Thomas Sigama, had personally taken up the matter and would contact the family.

“This is a very serious issue and we will try to resolve it immediately.”

The boy’s aunt, who also cannot be named as it would reveal the boy’s identity, said they had been going to the Pietermaritzburg Home Affairs office since he applied in March but were not told why he had not received his ID.

She said she contacted two senior managers, who had listened to her initially but did not respond to follow-up calls and messages.

“Countless times we waited in long queues, only to be sent away by the officials. We were never told what was holding up his application,” the aunt said.

When she got no response, she turned to a friend who works at Home Affairs and was told a manager was ignoring the friend’s messages.

The aunt said she looked at messages on her friend’s phone and saw one where the manager said he was “done” and hoped they raised the matter with his superiors as “threats like that don’t move me”.

The woman said she confronted her friend about the message and the teen heard their conversation.

“He knew I was failing him. He knew my desperate attempts to get help with his ID were not working. He heard what the official sent in the message and went to his room crying.”

An hour later she went to check whether he was studying, but he was not in his room and she found the note near his bed.

It read: “I spent all my time pretending I am okay when I am not. Pretending I’m happy when I’m not. I can’t help but wonder why only bad things happen to me. Why am I the only one who doesn’t have parents?

“Why am I the only one who gets left behind? I can’t even write matric now. Everyone will leave me behind. I am such a loser. I have so much pressure on me. It is easier to end everything and then I will be at peace.

“How can these Home Affairs people be so bad? How can they treat an orphan like this? Maybe if I am not here, you guys will be better off. I love you all.”

After searching with neighbours, they found the boy in the field.

“He was sobbing and telling me he had decided. I dragged him home and stayed at his bedroom door the whole night to make sure he was okay. We are devastated and angry at the way public servants treat people.

“Government officials are entrusted to serve the public and upholding Batho Pele principles, but they treat the public like trash and think they rule the world,” the aunt said.

The family and the boy are now receiving counselling from Lifeline.

Lifeline Pietermaritzburg director Sinikiwe Biyela said it was helping the family manage the situation and providing advice.