Maria David
THE ongoing mass registration for national documents by the Ministry of Home Affairs, Immigration, Safety, and Security has resulted in a family of eight receiving free replacements for their national documents, which were burnt to ashes on Independence Day.
The fire occurred in the Hakahana location of Windhoek.
Ministry spokesperson Margaret Kalo said the victims were issued with eight duplicate birth certificates and three identification cards.
“As part of the mass registration process, the Ministry exempted the family from paying and issued them with birth certificates and ID cards free of charge,” she said.
She also indicated that as part of the mass registration campaign countrywide, the Ministry made a provision to exempt at least 500 people per Constituency for birth certificates and ID cards. These could be vulnerable people in our society and those affected by disasters such as fires, among others.
According to Kalo, the house belongs to Selma Kainda and Fransina Hamunyela, and the public is requested to offer more assistance with any items, such as food, clothes, blankets, mattresses, and other household items. Currently, the family is sleeping outside in the open space, hoping for a good Samaritan to assist them.
Currently, the Ministry is conducting mass registration for national documents in all 14 regions of the country, which started on 5 February 2024 and will end on 30 July 2024. Over 24,000 people have been registered through the mass registration campaign.
She stressed that the campaign will focus on birth registration for persons of all ages, applications for duplicate birth certificates, applications for identity documents, and applications for duplicate identity documents.
Kalo then called on community members in all 14 regions of the country who do not have national documents – or have lost documents – to visit the nearest Home Affairs Offices or mobile registration centres to register for birth certificates and identity documents.
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