“I Feel Frustrated": Teen Siblings Born in SA to Undocumented Migrants Face Forced Zim Repatriation

• Teen siblings face a tough cross-border situation as uncertainty grows around their future
• Families and migrants remain caught in displacement challenges, with some left in limbo
• Citizenship rules in South Africa make it harder for some children born to foreign parents to secure clear legal status

Teen siblings Lorraine (18) and Lawrence Ncube (16), born and raised in South Africa to undocumented Zimbabwean parents, say they are being forced to leave the only home they have ever known.

Despite being born in South Africa, neither sibling has citizenship, as the law does not grant automatic nationality to children of foreign nationals. According to a report by eNCA on the 05 July 2026, the pair, along with their mother and Lorraine’s four-month-old baby, are among thousands of migrants awaiting removal to Zimbabwe, from Musina. Lorraine said:

"We were kicked out, we didn't just leave...The community came to our home and said we must leave if we don't have documents."

Read also

"A sacrifice worth making": Stilbaai farmer loses wife and son while working abroad

The family was displaced after a violent incident in Seshego near Polokwane, where their father reportedly fled following community backlash. Lawrence adds they feel overwhelmed by uncertainty on both sides of the border and fear rejection in Zimbabwe due to language and adjustment challenges.

“I feel frustrated and humiliated because it doesn’t seem like life is good there. I don’t know their language.”

Birth certificates for children born in SA to Zimbabwean parents

If you are born in South Africa to Zimbabwean parents, you will still get a South African birth certificate from the Department of Home Affairs, but it does not automatically make you a South African citizen.

There are two main types of birth certificates depending on your citizenship status. If you are a South African citizen, you receive a printed DHA-5 certificate with an ID number. If you are a Zimbabwean citizen born in South Africa, you are given a handwritten DHA-19 certificate, which does not include a South African ID number.

If you get a DHA-19 certificate, you must also register with the Zimbabwean consulate to get a Zimbabwean birth certificate, ID, and passport, since you are still considered a Zimbabwean citizen.

Read also

"Keep them": Zimbabwean woman roasts her countrymen rturning from SA after ant-foreigner protests in video

A birth must be registered within 30 days, but if it is missed, you can still apply later through “late registration of birth” at Home Affairs. Without a passport and permit, children may struggle to access services like school and healthcare.

Read the full eNCA story here:

Briefly News previously reported on a Zimbabwean woman living in Yeoville says she was left terrified after violent scenes broke out during the recent March and March anti-immigration protest in Johannesburg. She described protesters moving through the area, damaging property and attacking foreign nationals, regardless of legal status. Residents reportedly hid indoors as chaos unfolded outside, with some suffering injuries and homes being vandalised.

More Briefly News stories on migrants

• A South African-based Zimbabwean couple is reportedly assisting fellow nationals at a refugee centre by providing support and resources to help them cope with difficult living conditions and uncertainty.
• A Malawian man says he feels safer in Zimbabwe than in South Africa, sparking online reactions and debate about safety and living conditions in both countries.
• Zimbabwean nationals are reportedly seen in a viral TikTok video selling their belongings as they prepare to leave South Africa, highlighting growing uncertainty and relocation pressures among migrants.

Source: Briefly News