Home Affairs fixes 18-year ID battle over Khoisan name

After nearly two decades of frustration, a young man from Cape Town has finally received an identity document that reflects his full given name.

For years, !Khuboab Oedasoua Lawrence was unable to get official documents because the Department of Home Affairs system could not print the punctuation mark in his name.

The error left him stuck without a valid ID just as he finished school.

“Since Khoekhoegowab, the indigenous language of the Khoi Khoi and the San, is not recognised as an official language in South Africa, the special characters they have in the language weren't in the Home Affairs system," he explains.

ALSO READ: [WATCH] Cape Town parent challenges Home Affairs refusal to register son’s indigenous name

His mother, Lesle Jansen, had repeatedly approached Home Affairs but was told the exclamation mark could not be captured on the system.

But that changed when Home Affairs Minister Dr Leon Schreiber stepped in and even paid the family a personal visit.

"The minister was pushing for the point that, if anybody else has any different special characters in their name, they can go to Home Affairs and they will add that character to the system."

The corrected ID now recognises !Khuboab’s name in full, marking what many see as a significant moment for indigenous identity and cultural recognition.

!Khuboab explains the significance of the exclamation mark

"The exclamation mark is the click. If you take away the click, then the name has no meaning, actually. Because it's not the correct spelling. My name means Man of God, and it completely loses its meaning if you take away the exclamation mark."

ALSO READ: Khoi and San communities call on govt to recognise them as first nations of SA

To listen to Lawrence in conversation with CapeTalk's Lester Kiewit, use the audio player below: