Opuwo
The Minister of Home Affairs and Immigration Pendukeni Iivula-Ithana says the ministry has cleared the backlog of identification documents (IDs), passports, as well as birth and death certificates.
This is due to the 18-month turnaround strategy launched in 2014 that cost N$126.3 million. “With the turnaround strategies, we don’t talk about backlogs anymore. We deal with our clients as they come. First-come, first-served to receive their documents,” she proudly said.
National documents permit Namibians to apply for employment, school, get medical services, and benefit from all government grants and programmes.
The minister – who last Thursday attended the ground-breaking ceremony in Opuwo for regional Home Affairs and Immigration offices that will be constructed at a cost of more than N$37 million – said her ministry should be closer to the people to allow citizens easier access to national documents.
The construction of the offices in Opuwo are expected to be completed by April 2017. The main contractor is DNK contractors. She urged the contractors to ensure they stick to the stipulated deadline and to do excellent work, as the ministry invested heavily in the project.
Asked how they manage to access marginalised communities, especially those who live in far-flung regions, Iivula-Ithana said “We have taken note of marginalised communities living in isolated places… We know and understand the situation of people who have walk long distances where it is not reachable, so we try to reach them ourselves,” she explained.
“Last month we took a team to Gam and Eiseb Block where they live. They don’t have to move. We’ve just started and will continue targeting these people by going to them.” She said the ministry also plans to go to Tsumkwe and both Kavango regions. Asked whether the home affairs ministry is adequately funded to meet its tasks, she said they make do with what they have, as they are not the only government ministry that needs assistance.
“We have so many challenge as a country, so we don’t have to cry. This year we have a drought and we’ve created a Ministry for Poverty Eradication and Social Welfare, so this is not the only issue government has to deal with, so we make do with what we have.”
She urged people to voluntarily come and get their national documents instead of waiting for a need to arise, as experienced during the just-ended Ongwediva Trade Fair, where long queues were experienced at the Home Affairs stand. The minister appealed to citizens to take responsibility and ensure they have all required national documents.
“All newborn babies should get birth certificates immediately after birth. Every Namibian should have an ID. It is our role as parents to make sure that our children and those that we are taking care of have national documents. I kindly request our councillors and governors to do all it requires to make sure that our people acquire national documents,” she noted.
At the meeting she also revealed ongoing plans to construct regional offices for the ministry of home affairs in Omusati, Oshikoto, Ohangwena and in Kavango West.