A sickly 37-year-old man who was abandoned by his Malawian parents at birth says he is unable to receive medication because he does not have an identity document.
Isaiah ‘Elephant’ Magaleta has a heart defect, but says public hospitals are refusing to give him life- saving medication because Home Affairs cannot help him.
“When I visited the Home Affairs Cape Town’s branch, a woman named Cynthia told me I must bring my mother there since I had no birth records. But I told her it’s impossible.”
He says he was born in the North West on 7 July 1981, but was then abandoned by his parents.
“All I know is that I was born at a Brits hospital. I have never met my parents, I do not know who I am,” he says.
He has been to different Home Affairs departments armed with letters from Groote Schuur Hospital, the Legal Resource Centre and others in a bid to persuade authorities that he was born in South Africa.
A letter from Groote Schuur confirms that Isaiah was brought there for medical attention by his adoptive father as a child.
His adoptive father, who was a missionary, died in 2007.
According to the letter, Isaiah had heart mitral valve replacement with tricuspid annuloplasty done in 2007.
He has paroxysmal atrial flutter and fibrillation.
Isaiah is being assisted by Woodstock community activist, Shamiel Abbas, who says his human rights are being violated.
“He has letters here stating he needs to be on medication. It is his human right to have access to medication and an identity,” Shamiel says.
Home Affairs spokesman, David Hlabane, says Isaiah’s case will be referred to their Civic Duties branch which deals with granting citizenship: “Please be informed, we have enlisted the assistance of our Civic Services team on this matter.”