Home Affairs Minister, Dr Aaron Motsoaledi, has apologized to Dr Mmereka Ntshani for
saying she deposed an affidavit with the South African Police in 2019 and declared that
her passport was stolen.
Motsoaledi said the passport in question is the one which was still to expire in 2022 and
was recently found in Tanzania on the person of Dr Nandipha.

At a press conference held in Pretoria on May 22, Motsoaledi apologized to Dr Ntshani
and stated that she did not dispose of an affidavit when she filed for a passport in 2019
and that the affidavits she submitted this year are all consistent.

“I, therefore, retract the above statements and subsequent words to that effect. I would
like to extend my sincere apology to her in this regard. The statements were based on
the information given to me at the time,” Motsoaledi said.

However, Motsoaledi said he stands fully by the statements he made that Dr Ntshani’s
two passports were found in possession of Dr Nandipha Magudumana in the United
Republic of Tanzania.

“I would never apologize for those statements as they are true and were made in the
public interest,” Motsoaledi said.

Concerning Dr Nandipha Magudumane’s passport, Motsoaledi said the Department of
Home Affairs has obtained legal advice that there are strong legal grounds to revoke
her passport.

Motsoaledi added that the department’s Director-General will be taking due legal
process steps in terms of the South African Passports and Travel Documents Act 4 of
1994 to revoke the passport issued to Dr Magudumana on 16 February 2017 due to
expire on 15 February 2027