Former Home Affairs official still blacklisted on PERSAL despite repeated appeals to department

A former Department of Home Affairs official says his life has been placed on hold for years after the department allegedly failed to correct his PERSAL records, leaving him unable to secure employment in the public service or access his pension benefits.

Zakhele Khuzwayo, who previously served as Director of Information Systems Security in the Department of Home Affairs, says he has repeatedly approached the department to resolve what he describes as an incorrect status on the government’s PERSAL system, but the matter remains unresolved.

Khuzwayo said that the unresolved PERSAL record continues to prevent him from being considered for employment within the public sector, despite his insistence that he resigned from the department and was not dismissed.

He further alleges that the unresolved administrative status has also delayed the payment of his pension benefits, leaving him without the financial resources he believes are rightfully due to him.

Khuzwayo says he has made numerous attempts to engage the Department of Home Affairs over the years in an effort to have the matter corrected. However, he claims that despite these engagements, no lasting solution has been implemented.

“The issue has been brought to the attention of the department on several occasions, yet years later my PERSAL status remains unresolved. As a result, I cannot access opportunities within government and I am still waiting for my pension benefits,” he said.

Khuzwayo argues that the consequences have been devastating, affecting not only his livelihood but also his professional reputation.

He maintains that he was never dismissed from the Department of Home Affairs but resigned from his position. He contends that the continued reflection of an adverse status on PERSAL has created significant obstacles to rebuilding his career.

According to Khuzwayo, the prolonged delay has left him unemployed and financially strained, while his inability to access his pension benefits has further compounded his circumstances.

The former official believes the matter raises broader concerns about the accuracy of government employment records and the impact unresolved PERSAL disputes can have on former public servants.

He says he is calling on the Department of Home Affairs to urgently investigate and correct his employment records, facilitate the release of any pension benefits due to him, and bring finality to a matter that has remained unresolved for years.

At the time of publication, the Department of Home Affairs had not responded to questions regarding Khuzwayo’s allegations or the status of his PERSAL record.