There are, however, exceptions to this rule. Denationalised Zimbabweans, for example, will often be in possession a Zimbabwean-issue metal IDs which identifies the card-holder as a non-national. Those who used to hold such IDs identifying them as nationals, and who were subsequently denationalised, will often testify to these having been seized by the local authority. In order to replace their IDs, denationalised Zimbabweans were allowed to reapply for a new ID which identifies the holder as ‘alien.’ In the absence of such clear proof of statelessness, it is always useful to have evidence that verifies your client’s account of his/her personal history; even if this evidence does not go towards establishing nationality or lack thereof, it can assist with establishing credibility. A birth certificate or hospital record, for example, can be attached to the application in evidence that a client was indeed born in a country and to the parents whom he/she has described. School certificates and letters of attendance will serve to support your client's claims as to where he grew up and resided prior to coming to South Africa. Your client may not have this evidence on hand, but it may be traceable with your assistance. You may wish to make enquiries for such documentation directly to the foreign authority concerned, particularly if your enquiry speaks to the content of foreign registries. If such authority, however, is unavailable or uncooperative you may wish to call or write directly to the school, hospital or other establishment/department in question. In seeking documentary evidence of your client’s personal history, you may wish to enlist the help of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), an organisation specialising in family tracing. In circumstances where you are unable to assist your client in accessing any documentary proof corroborating his life story, you may be forced to make his/her case purely on the basis of his/her testimony. In such cases it is encouraging that UNHCR has determined that: Assessing citizenship and identifying a stateless person in practice have evidence showing a lack of an identity in the same way that a national will ordinarily have an ID document. Given the nature of statelessness, applicants for statelessness status are often unable to substantiate the claim with much, if any, documentary evidence. Statelessness determination authorities need to take this into account, where appropriate giving sympathetic consideration to testimonial explanations regarding the absence of certain kinds of evidence.94 94 UNHCR Procedures Guidelines (n 7 above) at para 38. Promoting citizenship and preventing statelessness in South Africa: A practitioner’s guide 53