Niël Terblanché
The Ministry of Home Affairs, Immigration, Safety and Security has responded forcefully to an article purportedly published by a Angolan newspaper, Para Portuguese, with the headline “Registration of Angolan nationals may backfire.”
The article’s allegations of possible election fraud have been strongly refuted by Ettienne Maritz, the Executive Director of the Ministry of Home Affairs.
Maritz addressed the claims made in the article, which suggested that Namibian officials crossed the border into Angola in September to issue Namibian identity documents to Angolan nationals at Ondjiva, specifically in the Tuviticha building.
According to Maritz, the alleged purpose of this activity was to enable these individuals to vote for the ruling SWAPO party in the 2024 National and Presidential Elections, with promises of monetary rewards after the party’s victory.
The article also noted that these claims had caused unrest among local opposition parties.
In an official statement, Maritz made it abundantly clear that the issuance of national documents falls under the sole mandate of the Ministry of Home Affairs, Immigration, Safety and Security, and this process strictly adheres to applicable laws.
“Namibian national identity documents are exclusively issued to Namibian citizens and permanent residents,” he stated.
He made it clear that at no point did the Ministry delegate or authorize any official to conduct ID registrations or issue identity documents to individuals outside the borders of Namibia.
Maritz categorically dismissed the information in the article as sensational, false, misleading, and malicious.
“The Ministry views the article as a form of propaganda aimed at disseminating false information with the intent to sow confusion and discontent among the citizens of Namibia,” he said.
Namibians were cautioned to remain vigilant and to not entertain such misleading reports.
Maritz assured all Namibians that the Ministry is fully committed to complying with the requirements of the Namibian Constitution and all other laws governing civil registration matters within the country.
Maritz urged the Namibian people to remain calm and maintain peace and unity of purpose in the country.
The Ministry’s response serves as a firm denial of the allegations and stresses the importance of upholding the integrity of the electoral process.
“It is imperative to maintain trust in the electoral system, uphold democratic values, and foster unity among the people of Namibia,” Maritz said.
