Nairobi: The introduction of Namibia's electronic identity (eID) system is intended to improve public service delivery, strengthen the security of identity documents, and enable access to digital government services, and will not be used to monitor or track citizens. This was clarified by the Ministry of Home Affairs, Immigration, Safety and Security's Chief Control Administrative Officer for Civil Registration, Taddeus Shambulala, during an information-sharing session on Thursday.
According to Namibia Press Agency, Shambulala dismissed claims circulating on social media that the government intends to implant microchips in people, stating that the chip will be embedded in the identity card solely to facilitate secure identity verification. "The introduction of the eID is intended solely to improve service delivery and not to trace citizens' whereabouts. Suggestions that the government will use it to track people are incorrect and misleading," he said.
The Office of the Prime Minister's Director of Solutions Architecture, Stefanus van Staden, emphasized that the eID forms part of Namibia's broader digital public infrastructure and is intended to improve interoperability between government systems while enhancing the quality of information contained in government registries. "The idea is to create a parallel platform to strengthen interoperability between systems while improving the quality of personal information in government registries," Van Staden said.
He explained that the government is preparing its digital platforms to accommodate the new authentication system while training information technology personnel to integrate the technology into existing and future government systems. According to Van Staden, the eID system will eventually allow citizens to securely access a range of public services online, reducing the need to visit government offices and paving the way for services such as online government job applications and other digital platforms.
Addressing concerns over privacy and cybersecurity, Shambulala assured that citizens' personal information will remain protected under the Civil Registration and Identification Act, 2024 (Act No. 13 of 2024), while the anticipated Data Protection Act will provide additional safeguards. He added that existing identity cards will remain legally valid after the rollout of the eID, although all new applicants will receive only the electronic identity card. "The current identity cards will remain valid until the government officially announces otherwise, but no new conventional identity cards will be issued once the eID rollout begins," he said.
The officials urged the public to verify information through the Ministry of Home Affairs, Immigration, Safety and Security rather than relying on misinformation circulating on social media, adding that public awareness campaigns and consultations on the eID will continue across the country.