The Ministry of Home Affairs, Immigration, Safety and Security (MHAISS) says it has registered and issued birth certificates and national identity documents (IDs) to over 50,833 Namibians as of June 24, 2024.
This achievement surpasses the initial target of 50,000 set for the ministry’s ongoing mass registration campaign.
Launched on February 5, 2024, the campaign has seen widespread participation from all 14 regions of the country.
Its primary focus is on registering and issuing birth certificates and IDs to eligible citizens as outlined by the Namibian Constitution and the Births, Marriages and Deaths Act of 1963.
The initiative also encompassed the issuance of replacements for lost or damaged birth certificates and IDs.
“Reaching this milestone underscores the Ministry’s commitment to ensuring a comprehensive birth registration coverage in the country, and thereby enabling deserving Namibians to access services such as education, healthcare, social grants and participate in other social and economic activities,” said Executive Director in the MHAISS Ettienne Maritz.
Furthermore, a total of 23,950 birth registrations were approved, alongside 4,868 replacements for lost or damaged birth certificates.
Regarding national IDs, there were 26,883 new applications, along with 9,571 successful applications for duplicate IDs.
Additionally, the campaign identified and registered 7,332 stateless and undocumented individuals, who, at the time of registration, lacked documentation proving their citizenship in any country.
He said the National Mass Registration campaign will conclude by July 30, 2024, and aims to ensure every citizen is documented, fostering greater access to essential services.
“The Ministry is calling upon those citizens who do not have national documents or who have lost their documents to visit their nearest Home Affairs Offices or mobile registration centres. The National Mass Registration initiative is aimed at ensuring that every citizen is duly documented and thereby increasing access to services,” Maritz said.
