Niël Terblanché
In response to challenges faced during the ongoing mass registration campaign, the Ministry of Home Affairs, Immigration, Safety and Security urged all applicants who have received Confirmation of Birth letters instead of birth certificates to promptly submit these letters to the ministry’s offices or the nearest constituency council offices.
The ministry wants to expedite the issuance of official birth certificates and ensure the smooth processing of national identification documents.
Etienne Maritz, the ministry’s executive director stressed the importance of complying with this request to ensure timely issuance of birth certificates.
“Applicants are urged to comply with this request to ensure timely issuance of their birth certificates. People aged 16 years and above will then be able to proceed to apply for their identity documents,” Maritz stated.
The ministry has been conducting a nationwide mass registration campaign since 5 February this year.
The campaign is designed to register and issue national documents such as birth certificates, identity documents, and duplicates for those who have lost or damaged their documents.
The campaign is set to conclude on 31 July and Maritz again encourages communities to take advantage of this opportunity.
At the end of last week, NamRights placed the difficulties experienced by applicants for national documents in the spotlight.
The human rights organization’s executive director, Phil ya Nangoloh, highlighted widespread complaints about slow processing times and the lack of proof of application issuance.
“Many other residents complain about voter disenfranchisement. Specifically, they claim that in the past, those residents who did not have both birth certificates and identity documents used to vote through representation. But, since voter representation has been discontinued, they are now unable to vote because they are being deprived of registering as voters,” Ya Nangoloh stated.
Maritz responded to these concerns by explaining that the ministry operates within the legal framework established by various acts and the Constitution of the Republic of Namibia.
“Each application is evaluated on its merit, with particular scrutiny given to late birth registrations, which may require thorough investigations to verify eligibility,” Maritz explained.
He reaffirmed that the ministry issues acknowledgement receipts for all applications and urged individuals who did not receive such proof to visit the registration offices to obtain it.
Regarding allegations of voter disenfranchisement, Maritz clarified that the ministry’s responsibility is limited to issuing national documents to eligible citizens.
He cited Article 17(2) of the Namibian Constitution, which guarantees voting rights for citizens aged 18 and above, and pointed to Section 26 of the Electoral Act 2014 for voter registration requirements.
He also suggested that NamRights consult the Electoral Commission of Namibia to address their concerns, as voter registration falls under the commission’s jurisdiction.
Anticipating a surge in applications towards the end of the registration programme, Maritz said that the ministry has deployed ten additional teams to various regions.
“Senior officials, including the minister and deputy minister, are actively engaging with governors and regional councillors to monitor progress, identify challenges, and devise solutions,” he said.
Maritz reassured the public that all offices nationwide remain open for the issuance of national documents and encouraged citizens to apply before the campaign concludes on 31st July.
“The ministry has collaborated closely with regional councillors to identify registration points in different constituencies, ensuring services are accessible to those in need,” Maritz added.
Maritz expressed appreciation to NamRights for pointing out challenges and reiterated the ministry’s commitment to improving service delivery.
He, however, also urged applicants to provide feedback and seek assistance directly from the ministry to ensure better service delivery.
By last Friday, the home affairs ministry attended to the needs of 98 581 applicants.
