GAUTENG – The Department of Home Affairs has confirmed it is investigating a case of alleged false registration in Katlehong after a family reported being blocked from transferring ownership of their late father’s property.
The three siblings say they have been attempting to process the transfer of their father’s home since his death in 2014. However, the Master’s Office reportedly informed them that another individual, listed as their sibling, is registered as the property’s sole beneficiary.
The family states they do not know this person and cannot explain how they were registered as a sibling. According to their account, this individual only began appearing in official documentation in 2024.
Mamokubung Moroke, a manager with the Department of Home Affairs, confirmed the department is aware of the matter and that investigations remain ongoing.
“These are cases of false registration,” Moroke explained. “False registration means that you have kids that are not necessarily yours appearing under your ID number. Every mother and father, when you go on to the national population register, we are able to see who are your children and all their details.”
Moroke outlined the investigative process, which includes retrieving initial birth records used to register all children linked to the parents’ IDs. Officials will compare these foundational documents against current records to identify discrepancies. The department may also interview the individual listed as a sibling to determine their awareness of the registration.
“In some cases, you may find that the person would say, ‘I don’t know how I got my birth registered; I just have a birth certificate,’” Moroke noted. “If we realize that the other person appearing as a dependent is really not known and is admitting [they are not related], the department is able to remove that record.”
However, due process requires that the individual in question be afforded an opportunity to represent their claim. Moroke emphasized that the department cannot remove information unilaterally unless the person comes forward or is located and fails to substantiate their status, including through DNA evidence if necessary.
For now, the family remains in possession of the home. Home Affairs is coordinating with other government departments to locate the individual listed as a beneficiary to expedite resolution.
While Moroke stated such cases are not frequent, they do arise periodically. She advised parents to routinely verify which children are registered under their ID numbers when conducting any transaction with Home Affairs, whether applying for an ID document or other services.
“The record is the initial form that was used when a child was registered. It will definitely show the details of the mother,” Moroke added. “We will be able to compare whether the documents that they have indeed are correlating with the information that we have on the records.”
The department reiterated its commitment to resolving the matter while upholding procedural fairness for all parties involved.