Victoria Immanuel 

OSHAKATI - Residents in northern Namibia are observed daily at various Mobile Telecommunications Company (MTC) Self-Service Centres in long queues hoping to beat the deadline of 31 December and avoid discontinuation of their SIM cards.

SIM card registration is a national initiative aimed at facilitating the investigation of crimes committed with the aid of mobile devices.

Namibians have been advised to register their SIM cards before/on 31 December 2023, failure to do so will have mobile networks suspending services of unregistered SIM cards for three months.

Martin Fillemon, who was in the queue at Oshakati MTC mobile home said he joined the line at 05h00, hoping to be part of those to be assisted first. 

“Although we will be served, we are tired of waiting and standing in line for more than six hours. Some people need to go back to their daily duties,” stressed Fillemon.

One of the frustrated customers, Magano Kamati, said MTC is reluctant to open more mobile homes.

“They only have one branch in Oshakati and Ongwediva with tiny spaces, and queues are daily activities at all MTC shops in the country,” she said.

She pleaded with the telecommunication company to have separate counters for customers registering SIM cards and those seeking other services.

Martha Ndilula, who was also in the queue, said the lines were too long because MTC’s online sim registration is not efficient. 

“Most of the time their system is full,” she added.

The spokesperson of MTC, Erasmus Nekundi said SIM card registration is running until the 31st of December 2023.

“Only those cards that will not be registered after December 2023 will be discontinued and lose connectivity,” he said.

The Ministry of Information and Communication Technology in a press statement issued this week stated that any SIM card not registered by the cut-off date will be disconnected.

“Despite the critical timeframe provided for this critical process, there has been a low public response to this imperative [procedure]. MICT firmly reiterates that there will be no extension granted beyond the specified date of 31 December 2023,” it read.

According to a press statement by the Communications Regulatory Authority of Namibia (CRAN), as of 15 June 2023, only 795 991 out of 2 760 804 subscribers, constituting a mere 29%, have registered their SIM cards.

“It is essential to underscore the significance of SIM card registration, as this process plays a pivotal role in deterring phone-based fraud, identity theft, and other criminal activities,” it stated.

Mandatory registration and identification of SIM card users align Namibia with international best practices, according to the ministry.

On Friday, the executive director in the line ministry, Audrin Mathe announced that there would be no extension for SIM card registration, and non-registered cards would be blocked for three months.

“As for the banks, they were aware of the SIM card registration since the conception of the registration process two years ago. The banks should not have waited up until two weeks prior to the conclusion of the registration process,” he said, referencing recent concerns raised by local banks about the process.

Extension demand

The secretary of the SWAPO Party Youth League (SPYL), Ephraim Nekongo, is pleading with the information ministry for an extension of the SIM card registration deadline set by CRAN.

Nekongo emphasised the critical need for an extension, stating, “Should the registration period not be extended for companies like MTC, it will lose 75% of its clients due to the deactivation of unregistered SIM-cards.”

The politician highlighted the economic contributions of state-owned mobile telecommunications companies to the revenue of the State. 

“The two State-owned mobile telecommunications companies derive a significant sum of their profits from the selling of airtime and data bundles.  If, for instance, 75% of the MTC sim card holders are deactivated, it will plunge a once-profitable State parastatal into an insolvent institution,” he warned.

Nekongo stated that the deactivation of unregistered SIM cards could have a broader impact on the country’s economy. 

“It will have a negative impact not only on the two State-owned mobile telecommunications companies, but also on the economy of the country at large due to the significant reduction in transactions and circulation of money using Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT),” he added.

Highlighting the difficulties faced by citizens in reaching registration points, he said most people are struggling to get to the current identified registration points for them to register their SIM cards as required due to transport constraints and other factors.

He thus urged the companies to deploy their services in all 121 constituencies to facilitate registration for those in remote areas.

“The SWAPO Party Youth League believes an extension period of another 12 months must be granted to ensure that citizens are given a reasonable opportunity to register their sim cards,” he said. 

-vkaapanda@nepc.com.na