Windhoek: More than 3,000 national identity documents (IDs) are awaiting collection by applicants at the Ministry of Home Affairs office in Otjiwarongo, Otjozondjupa Governor John ||Khamuseb announced on Monday. Delivering his second State of the Region Address, ||Khamuseb expressed concern over the backlog and revealed that the uncollected documents include 3,320 IDs, 109 confirmation letters, and 35 marriage certificates.
According to Namibia Press Agency, ||Khamuseb highlighted the issue of uncollected IDs at the home affairs office as a significant challenge. He urged parents to continue registering their children at birth to avoid delays in the registration process and the subsequent application for national documents. The governor stated that the department of home affairs in the Otjozondjupa Region did not implement any capital projects during the 2025/26 financial year but continued to provide essential civil registration services and issue identification documents.
The issuing of birth certificates remains a critical function, as it enables children and other individuals to acquire nationality, enrol in school, access social welfare grants, and apply for national identity documents, ||Khamuseb noted. The region recorded 4,604 birth registrations, with 1,145 registered within the prescribed period and 3,459 as late registrations.
The implementation of the electronic birth and death notification system has significantly improved efficiency in the registration process by facilitating the timely electronic transfer of birth and death information. The system has been rolled out to all district hospitals, as well as the Otavi and Mangetti clinics, and police mortuaries across the region.
In his address, ||Khamuseb mentioned that the department of home affairs also conducted outreach programmes targeting schools and marginalised communities, particularly the San community, to improve access to civil registration services. The Otjozondjupa Region has a population of more than 220,000 people across its seven constituencies.