Sad plight of family with nothing

THIS is a sad story of a family who have never had identity documents – instruments that serve as a key to many government services.

The Mmupele family’s plight is as a result of a mix-up with their surname. They believe that the Verdwaal Four – the children who died of hunger – would still be alive today if they had their IDs, as they would have had access to the government child support grant.

“I believe that if my children and grandchildren were receiving social grants they would still be alive. I am even losing hope because my ID application has been rejected many times,” said Martha Mmupele.

Mmupele was a mother of the late Sebengu, 9, and Mmapule, 7, and grandmother to Oarabetswe, 2, and Olebogeng, 6.

All four died on a long walk while looking for their mother and sister Elizabeth, who had left them to look year, ” she said.

When Sowetan visited the family, they were preparing for yet another funeral of Martha’s younger sister, Baby, who died last week Sunday.

“I am still mourning the death of my children and now my sister is dead, all because we are suffering. Why is this happening to me,” said a sobbing Mmupele.

“I (have) lost hope. Baby is the eighth in my family to die this year, and it is all because we don’t have enough food to provide for ourselves. ”

Acting North West provincial manager at Home Affairs Irene Mantlhasi said the family could have applied for an ID using one of the surnames.

“There is no way our officials can refuse to help a person because of surname mix-up, it is impossible,” she said.

Mantlhasi said every South family might not be telling you the truth. Maybe they failed to apply,” she said.

The North West department of social development, women, children and people living with disability has deployed social workers to offer trauma and bereavement counselling to the family.

The Mmupele’s are part of a bigger poverty problem in the platinum-rich province.

However, the South African Social Security Agency (Sassa) believes the family could have been helped a long time ago.

“Our responsibility is to ensure that the right grant is paid to the right person, of which in terms of the children’s ages, they could have all qualified for child support, to a maximum monthly amount of R270, with or without birth certificates, and the care-giver who may or may not have an identity document,” spokesman