Residents of Maputa Village in the Kavango East Region are unhappy with the registration process conducted by the Ministry of Home Affairs. They claim that they are being asked to provide supporting documents that they do not possess.

The registration process was initiated after an appeal by Sophia Shaningwa, the Secretary General of the Swapo Party, at the village. Shaningwa stated that the residents need national identification documents. She explained that these individuals, including herself, had been forcefully removed by the South African regime during a time when the area was declared a war zone known as Omega 1, 2, and 3. After Namibia gained independence, they returned to their homeland. Shaningwa requested that these individuals be treated as Namibians and be provided with all the necessary national documents.

Although the registration process eventually took place, the residents were left dissatisfied. They have now requested an extension of the registration period.

Andreas Kavera, the acting senior administration officer at Rundu Home Affairs, explained that the same procedures must be followed by all applicants, regardless of their background. He added that individuals who do not meet the requirements are given advice, and their details are recorded for further analysis.

Kavera also mentioned that another team will address the concerns of the people in the Mukwe Constituency, which may include Maputa Village.

Since the start of the registration process last week, a total of 87 birth certificates and 73 ID applications have been recorded, along with 143 stateless individuals.