Pamela Nomvete denied SA passport
Veteran actress Pamela Nomvete has opened up about a painful ordeal with the Department of Home Affairs, revealing that she is battling to regain her South African citizenship.
The former Generations star, who was born in Ethiopia while her parents were in exile, shared on Instagram that her passport recently expired, leaving her stranded in a bureaucratic back-and-forth.
Despite having been granted dual citizenship since 1994, Nomvete says officials now demand she provide proof of her late parents’ South African citizenship before renewing her documents.
“I am sitting here feeling despondent and in pain. In 1994, I went to my ancestral land, South Africa, having been born in exile and acquired my South African citizenship so I could vote for a black majority government. The South African government welcomed us exiles, happy for us to hold dual citizenship!” she wrote.
The actress explained that she had already submitted these records decades ago, making the request both frustrating and heartbreaking.
“I went through hell and high water to produce this very evidence back then!” she added.
Although she still has her British passport, Nomvete stressed that it is important for her to retain her South African identity.
“I am heartbroken but shall still fight to get my passport and be recognised as a dual citizen South African Brit born in Ethiopia! Surely the world should be our playground. Once an exile, always an exile!”
View this post on Instagram
