06/07/2026
Home Affairs Clarifies that Children Born to Illegal Foreigners in South Africa Don't Automatically Get Citizenship, as Undocumented Zimbabwean Teenage Siblings Refuses to be Repatriated
The Department of Home Affairs has clarified South Africa's citizenship laws while addressing the case of two undocumented Zimbabwean siblings who say they do not want to be repatriated. Lorraine Ncube, 18, and her 16-year-old brother, Lawrence, say they have lived their entire lives in South Africa and fear an uncertain future if returned to Zimbabwe.
The siblings form part of ongoing repatriation processes involving undocumented foreign nationals across the country. They say they are worried about education, accommodation and long-term stability if they are relocated. Home Affairs spokesperson Albert Matsaung addressed the matter in Musina, where authorities are processing migrants as repatriation operations continue.
Matsaung said officials had confirmed that the mother of the 18-year-old is in South Africa illegally and that the 18-year-old also has no legal status in the country. He said the department would allow the mother to complete the birth registration process through the South African father before any further steps regarding documentation are considered.
"Confirmation that we have received is that the mother... is currently illegal in the country. The mother does not have any legal status to be in the Republic. The 18-year-old also does not have legal status to be in the Republic," Matsaung said. He added that once birth registration is completed, authorities would consider the passport process and, if both parents agree, the child could travel to Zimbabwe as a visitor using an unabridged birth certificate.
Matsaung also said the Zimbabwean government remains responsible for documenting the mother and that the Zimbabwean embassy had been engaged to assist with the matter. He added that the South African father also has a responsibility to ensure the child is properly documented, despite his request that the child should not be taken to Zimbabwe.
The department reiterated that a child cannot automatically become a South African citizen if neither parent is a South African citizen. Home Affairs said no changes have been made to existing citizenship laws and that authorities will continue enforcing immigration and documentation regulations as repatriation and border-related operations continue in northern Limpopo.
