Their plight was recently highlighted when the oldest brother finished writing matric and needed his birth certificate to apply for his tertiary studies. 

Mangaung EFF Councillor, Baba Sebolao, said he was contacted by a community member to help get the children registered. He says he started the process and asked Free State Social Development MEC, Motlagomang Qabathe and Health MEC, Montseng Tsiu, to intervene.

 “We finally managed to track down and invite their paternal grandfather from Gauteng, who travelled to Bloemfontein to do a DNA test. The tests were done at Universitas hospital. The siblings now received the results that came back 99.9% positive. Sebolao says they are now waiting for the grandfather to make a trip back to Bloemfontein so that he can apply for the children’s birth certificates and IDs.

The oldest of the three children applied to study at Central University of Technology and is waiting for his identification number and birth certificate to register at the institution, says Sebolao. The children’s mother came from Lesotho. Sebolao says he was informed that the orphans were hiring a room in Bloemfontein to seek shelter.

OFM News/Blaine Jones