Clerical error leaves Sweetwaters woman ‘dead’ on paper

An elderly Sweetwaters woman spent her final months trying to prove she was alive after the State officially recorded her as dead, an error her family says destroyed her livelihood and continues to deny her dignity even in death. Bongekile Margaret Mthethwa died on December 13, 2025, after more than a year of emotional distress and deteriorating health believed to have been caused by the sudden termination of her old-age pension in November 2024. Her son, Sipho Mthethwa, said his mother had been receiving her pension without difficulty until payments stopped unexpectedly.

When she went to the Department of Home Affairs to enquire, she was informed that departmental records reflected that she had already died. “Officials further told her that the system listed her place of residence as KwaNongoma, despite her being alive and having lived in Sweetwaters for many years. As far as the system was concerned, my mother was dead,’ said Mthethwa.

The incorrect record meant her pension was never reinstated, leaving the elderly woman without a stable income and struggling to meet basic needs while living with diabetes. “She depended on that pension for food and medication. When it stopped, everything changed,” he said.Mthethwa said pension payout days became a source of deep emotional pain for his mother.

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She used to collect her pension with her sister. When hers stopped, she would cry uncontrollably. We eventually stopped talking about pensions at home because it caused her so much distress.

He said the prolonged stress took a visible toll on her health. “Her blood pressure rose and her sugar levels became unstable. Even though we supported her as a family, it was not the same as having her own money.

She lost her independence and dignity.” The family said the suffering did not end with her death. Mthethwa said they have been unable to obtain a death certificate because his mother allegedly had no valid identity document, leaving them unable to claim from funeral policies. He blamed the Department of Home Affairs for failing to correct an error that caused his mother prolonged suffering.

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