Allexer Namundjembo
The Ministry of Home Affairs, Immigration, Safety and Security has been accused of issuing a duplicate national identity document (ID) to the wrong person.
Windhoek resident Werner Kanana told the Windhoek Observer that he recently visited the Home Affairs office in Windhoek to collect a replacement ID after losing his original last year, only to discover that the duplicate had already been collected by someone else.
“Last year I lost my national ID, and recently I went to Home Affairs to apply for a replacement. However, I was told that I could not be issued a new ID because there are multiple records under my identity in their system,” he said.
Kanana said the matter has left him between a rock and a hard place as he struggles to access basic services.
“Right now I cannot even access my bank accounts because I do not have my ID. This is really affecting me,” he said.
He said he is considering legal action against the ministry, although the process may be costly.
“I am planning to legally challenge the ministry, as this seems to be the only solution,” he said.
According to Kanana, officials advised him to open a criminal case, but he remains unsure who should be held responsible.
“One of the requirements for resolving this issue is to open a criminal case with the police. My concern is, whom exactly am I supposed to open a case against?” he asked.
Kanana said he first applied for his ID in 2006, while the duplicate record appears to have been created in 2025 under another individual’s profile.
“The person who duplicated my record used the same personal details as mine — the same parents, the same birth certificate, and identical personal data. The only differences are the photograph and fingerprints,” he said.
He suspects the issue may be linked to suspicious activity previously detected on his bank account.
“I recall that there was money withdrawn from my bank account several years ago under suspicious circumstances. Now I suspect it could be connected to this identity duplication issue. I do not know whether this was done by an outsider or with the involvement of people inside the ministry,” he said.
Kanana said the situation has left him relying on others for financial support.
“I now rely on people for help because I cannot freely access my own finances,” he said, while appealing for legal assistance and public support.
Efforts by the Windhoek Observer to obtain comment from the Ministry of Home Affairs were unsuccessful. Questions sent to the ministry’s public relations office remained unanswered for more than two weeks.
The case mirrors another unresolved identity fraud matter reported by the Windhoek Observer last year involving Arandis resident Matheus Matheus.
Matheus discovered the problem in July 2024 while applying for a passport at the Swakopmund Home Affairs office. Officials informed him that while his name and ID number appeared in the system, the photograph and signature did not match.
He was referred to the ministry’s head office in Windhoek, where senior officials allegedly confirmed that another individual, reportedly an Angolan national, had fraudulently used his birth certificate and ID. The Otjiwarongo Home Affairs office is alleged to have issued forged documents in 2023.
