Help sought to fix ‘polygamous’ union

THIS open letter is to Home Affairs Minister Dr Cwele, as I am encouraged to read on his letterhead “we care” and Home Affairs is “easy, efficient and secure”.

Dear Dr Cwele,

I am writing to ask for your assistance in helping my husband and I become “legally” married, by speeding up the process of registering our marriage of September 15, 2018.

This will enable me to apply for a new ID book, change my banking details, notify my medical aid, and all other accounts, and apply for a new passport to use when travelling.

Since I have changed address, I also need to change my name and address to vote in the elections.

On behalf of my husband we need to arrange for Home Affairs to cancel his previous marriage which ended in divorce on October 31, 2016. The Final Order of Divorce papers were submitted to Home Affairs in September 2018, but nothing seems to have been done and, according to them, he is still “married” to his previous wife. This leaves me in a very unfortunate position of having married a man still married (according to Home Affairs) to another woman.

We have frequently been told that the computers are “down”, and phone calls go unanswered, but if you could kindly assist us we’d be grateful. Please arrange for a staff member to contact me for all the details you will need. I hope I can count on you to help? DEBBIE CALDER Hillcrest