Home Affairs Minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi has shot down suggestions by the opposition that DNA tests be conducted on Thabo Bester, saying the hospital records proved he was born in Soweto.
He said there was no need for DNA tests on Bester as proposed by the official opposition.
Only in extreme cases would Home Affairs make use of DNA to determine the identity of a person.
Motsoaledi said it was not possible for Home Affairs to conduct DNA tests on everyone because there were records to prove their identity.
If records at Chris Hani Baragwanath hospital showed that Maria Meisie Mabaso gave birth to Bester in 1986, there was no need to prove that with DNA tests.
Motsoaledi, who was replying during the Budget vote debate of his department in Parliament on Wednesday, said he has told DA MP Adrian Roos a number of times that DNA was not the only way to identify people.
“Bester’s DNA matches the DNA of the mother who gave birth to him in Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital in 1986,” said Motsoaledi.
He told Roos he was misleading the public with his suggestion that the only way to identify people was through DNA.
He called on Roos to stop singing the DNA song each time he raised the issue of identification of people and Bester.
“Why do you think that every time we must be doing DNA?. We don’t. We told you the process of late registration of birth is to get documents from the hospital where you were born, from crèches if you attended them, from Sunday school, and we give those documents to a special tribunal in Home Affairs. That special tribunal decides on the basis of those documents. Only in extreme cases we do DNA,” said Motsoaledi.
“Can you imagine every South African you meet you keep on doing DNA. No. That’s not how things are done.
“It would not be easy for Home Affairs to conduct DNA on every South Africa. But for your information, we want to put this matter to rest, Bester’s DNA matches the DNA of the mother who gave birth to him in 1986. It matches, It was not done by us. It was done by the police. Do you want us to repeat it?
“That lady who is Bester’s mother matches 99.9%. Why do you want us at Home Affairs to repeat it? If the records in hospital are here that this lady came and gave birth to this boy, why should we query it?” Motsoaledi said.
Bester is on trial with Dr Nandipha Magudumana, former officials at G4S security firm and Magudumana’s father, Zolile Sekeleni.
The accused appeared in court this week when they were applying for bail.
Bester is already serving a life sentence for murder and rape.
siyabonga.mkhwanazi@inl.co.za
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