Hardap: Deputy Minister of Home Affairs, Immigration, Safety and Security, Edward Wambo, has called on residents of Hoachanas and Stampriet in the Hardap region to prioritize acquiring national documentation, describing it as central to human dignity and access to opportunities. Wambo made the call at a community engagement on Tuesday as part of the ministry's regional outreach programme aimed at raising awareness on birth registration, identity documentation, and issues of migration, safety, and security.
According to Namibia Press Agency, Wambo informed the gathering that the right to a legal identity remains a critical concern, particularly in communities affected by undocumented persons and statelessness. 'It is a profound privilege to stand before a community defined by deep historical roots and resilience, to address a matter that lies at the heart of human dignity, the right to a legal identity,' he said.
Wambo, who is also the Rehoboth Urban Constituency Councilor, noted that documentation challenges are not abstract policy issues, but realities experienced daily at the community level. He further highlighted three key pieces of legislation aimed at addressing longstanding challenges: the Statelessness Determination and Protection Bill, the Regularisation of Status of Certain Residents of Namibia, their Descendants and Foreign Spouses Act of 2024, and the Civil Registration and Identification Act of 2024.
'These laws will provide pathways to citizenship, regularise long-term residents, and modernise civil registration systems. The ministry has also established a register within the National Population Registration System to enable swift processing once the laws take effect,' he said. Wambo further expressed concern over uncollected identity documents, stressing their importance for legal recognition and access to services.
To ease access, the ministry is working with constituency councillors to deliver identity documents directly to communities and urged communities to submit acknowledgement receipts to councillor offices. An SMS notification system has also been introduced to update applicants on their document status. Wambo went on to emphasise timely birth registration, warning that failure to register children increases the risk of statelessness. Services have been expanded to several health facilities, including Hoachanas Clinic and facilities in Rehoboth, Mariental, Aranos, Maltah¶he and Stampriet.
Meanwhile, residents raised concerns about the lack of nearby Home Affairs offices, forcing costly travel to Mariental, as well as errors in official documents and police conduct. Wambo reaffirmed the ministry's commitment to improving service delivery.