Pricilla Mukokobi

The Namibia government, through the Ministry of Home Affairs, Immigration, Safety and Security has said only the new identity card can be used for travelling to Botswana.

However, only the new IDs can be used for travelling cross borders and, for now, only at Mamuno/Trans-Kalahari border post.

Sakeus Kadhikwa, the home affairs spokesperson told New Era the world is moving towards digitisation, and the new identity card is one of its kind in SADC.

“Just because we have new identity cards does not mean we cannot use the old ones. The old ones are still equally important,” he said.

He also said the new look ID cards will be more secure, as the quick response (QR) code and machine-readable zone (MRZ) will contain elements to be read by the machine and cannot be easily forged.

“When you apply for the new ID, if you had the old one, you will pay a fee. However, if you are turning 16 years old, we give you a new ID,” he said.

Kadhikwa further said the ID permits a traveller to be in Botswana for 30 days, but if you find yourself in Botswana and want to transit to another country, you have to use your passport because the IDs will only be used between Namibia and Botswana.

He added that if you lose your ID while in Botswana, you can use your passport to return to Namibia, provided that you report the matter to the relevant authorities.