The Deputy Minister of Home Affairs, Immigration, Safety, and Security says birth registration is a human right. Hence, parents should ensure that they register their children as soon as they are born.
Lucia Witbooi said this during her briefing at the Government Information Centre in Windhoek on Wednesday.
Article 15 of the Namibian Constitution states that children shall have the right from birth to a name, the right to acquire a nationality, and, subject to legislation enacted in the best interests of children, as far as possible, the right to know and be cared for by their parents.
It is against this reasoning that Witbooi urges all parents and guardians to register their new-born baby or babies immediately after birth, up to 12 months, at any state hospital country-wide.
"Birth registration is therefore a human right. It establishes the child's legal identity, which, together with the ascertainment of that child's citizenship, is essential for accessing a range of services such as education, healthcare, and social protection. Moreover, birth registration provides vital statistical data that informs policy and planning at national and international levels."
This year, from January to December, a total of 92,300 birth certificates were issued through fixed registration points and mobile registration.
She says the Ministry plans to connect seven facilities to the e-birth and e-death notification system in the current financial year.
"In total, the Ministry has 106 facilities that are now connected to the e-birth notification system, as well as 128 facilities that are connected to the e-death notification system. This will enable our citizens to access public services efficiently and promptly."
During the period under review, 116,354 IDs were printed, of which 39,168 are still uncollected.
"It is against this background that the Ministry is humbly calling upon those who have applied for identity documents to come and collect their IDs. Applicants must take note that one can collect his or her ID at the office where he or she indicated to collect it; alternatively, one can also request the ID card be transferred to the Ministry of Home Affairs office in their respective region."
She also revealed that the ministry has managed to reduce the backlog on the capture of historic marriage records from 53,889 in April 2023 to 38,545 as of November 2023.
Similarly, they also reduced the backlog on the capture of historic death records from 62,563 to 55,578.
These, she says, are marriage and death records spanning pre-independence and soon after independence, which are not on the National Population Register System.