As from 2016 all stateless children will be excluded from school.

Thembalethu Nkomazi reports that the South African Department of Education's insistence that all children must be in possession of valid Identity Documents (ID) in order to continue with education is having catastrophic effects in the region of Nkomazi, located in eastern Mpumlanga and bordering Swaziland.

Thousands of children currently living in this part of South Africa do not have birth certificates or IDs. Historically, Nkomazi has been a refuge for Mozambiquan and Swazi refugees. It has the highest HIV infection rate in the country, leaving many children orphaned. Unemployment is high. Only 17% of the population in Nkomazi has completed secondary school.

As a matter of urgent and ongoing advocacy, Thembalethu Nkomazi explains how lack of documentation is contributing to stateless children. The negative impact on education and upliftment in Nkomazi is documented in their October 2015 report. Read their report here.