Pamela Nomvete opens up about her heartbreaking passport renewal struggle as a dual citizen

Actress Pamela Nomvete recently took to social media to reveal her frustrations that she is currently unable to travel because she cannot renew her South African passport despite having dual citizenship.

The former “Generations” actress revealed in a heartbreaking social post on Instagram that she is in pain because she cannot visit her homeland and has been in a constant battle to renew her expired passport.

“This photo is when I performed at the Market Theatre, possibly for the last time. I am sitting here feeling despondent and in pain,” she said

Nomvete reflected on the time she got her South African citizenship for the first time because her parents went into exile during the apartheid regime.

“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! This year, my South African passport expired, and now I am trying to renew it.”

The “Lockdown” actress revealed that she is being told to submit legal documents of her late parents, which she does not have.

She added: “I am literally being told all over again to prove my South African citizenship and produce my late parents’ documents, namely, their birth certificates and ID documents. My parents are now on the ancestral plain, so I am not able to get these papers from them.”

Nomvete, who was born in Ethiopia to South African parents and grew up in the United Kingdom, holds a British passport as well.

Even though she does have a British passport, she shared that she cannot use the passport because she has dual citizenship, and she cannot understand why Home Affairs does not have the relevant information, because she already produced paperwork for this in 1994.

She further said that even though she is heartbroken over this issue, she will still keep fighting to be recognised as a South African citizen.

“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,” she said.

According to Home Affairs, for a passport renewal, you need the standard renewal documents (Birth certificate, previous passport, completed application forms, and marriage certificate if your marital status has changed).

Additional documents, which are also important and needed, include a Letter of Retention of South African citizenship, proof of foreign citizenship and a copy of the foreign passport.