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 media briefing held in Pretoria earlier today, Motsoaledi apologized to Dr Ntshani, saying that she did not depose to an affidavit when she applied for a passport in 2019 and that there are no conflicting versions in the affidavits deposed by her this year.

"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.

With regard to 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 passports.

Motsoaledi said 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.