HI I'M ESTHER I'M FROM DRC CONGO A WIFE AND MOTHER OF 3 KIDS 1BOY 13 YEARS OLD,AND 2 GIRLS 10 & 8 ALL BORN IN SOUTH AFRICA.I CAME TO S.A IN 2007 GOT MARRIED HERE, MY HUSBAND CAME BEFORE ME IN 2003 AND WAS ISSUED WITH A PERMANENT RESIDENCE AFTER ALMOST 9YEARS AND I WAS DENIED ONE, SAYING THAT I DIDN'T HAVE THE FIRST REFUGEE STATUS AS I GOT MY STATUS BEHIND MY HUSBAND.MY SON AND DAUGHTERS ARE SOUTH AFRICAN BORN CHILDREN AND ARE TREATED AS REFUGEES AT THE HOSPITAL, AT SCHOOL AND ANYWHERE ELSE. THEY AREN'T TREATED AS CITIZENS OF S.A  AND IT AFFECTS THEM MENTALLY WHEN WORDS LIKE GO BACK TO YOUR COUNTRY COMES OUT OF S.A CITIZENS ESPECIALLY WHILE XENOPHOBIC ATTACKS TAKE PLACE KIDS WONDER AND ASK SO MANY QUESTIONS THAT I HAVE NO ANSWERS TO THEY DON'T HAVE OTHER HOMES OTHER THAN S.A .WE CAN'T TRAVEL ANYWHERE AS THE REFUGEE STATUS HAS RESTRICTIONS ,TO GET A TRAVEL DOCUMENT HERE IS A BIG BIG PROBLEM MY KIDS HAVE NEVER EVER TRAVELLED BEFORE FOR ALL THEIR LIVES AND IT AFFECTS THEM AS THEY SEE THEIR FRIENDS TRAVELLING AND THEY CAN'T. BECAUSE OF THE LUCK OF DOCUMENTS ,I HAVE BEEN AFFECTED IN SO MANY WAYS AS I CANNOT APPLY FOR CERTAIN TYPES OF JOBS AS IT ONLY APPLIES TO S.A CITIZENS.IN ANY COUNTRY WE SEE THAT AFTER ONLY 5 YEARS U QUALIFY FOR A PERMANENT RESIDENCE  BUT I HAVE 14 YEARS HERE I APPLIED 2X AND WAS DENIED MY 2 BROTHERS TOO STUDIED HERE AND WE PAY TAX TOO...I PLEAD WITH THE S.A GOVERNMENT TO PLEASE GIVE ME AND MY KIDS OUR CITIZENSHIP