The Secretary General of the Swapo Party, Sophia Shaningwa, is calling for the distribution of national documents to the inhabitants of Maputa village in Bwabwata, Mukwe constituencies, Kavango East Region. 

This was said at a party's mini-rally held in Maputa village on Saturday.

When their village was declared a war zone before independence, the community of Maputa fled to neighbouring countries for refuge and only returned after independence. 

This, they say, has been a challenge that has resulted in them not getting national documents. 

"People are labelling us as foreigners because apparently we are from Angola or Zambia. The fact is, the hambukushu's were dispatched by the war; some of them ran into Botswana, some to Angola, and others to Zambia. We only came back to our ancestral land because our ancestors were originally from here," said Headman Shakoyi Thindhingo.

Although the government has provided other services to the community, the provision of national documents has been outstanding for the residents of Maputa village. 

Shaningwa communicated her message to President Nangolo Mbumba and Dr. Albert Kawana, the Minister of Home Affairs and Immigration, to provide national documents to the inhabitants, just as they provide schools, water, clinics, and police stations.

Apart from the youth, the lack of national documents for the elderly people of Maputa village has also prevented them from benefiting from government poverty eradication programmes. 

Also speaking at the rally, Councillor of Mukwe Constituency Damian Maghambayi noted that arrangements have been made with officials of home affairs, and they are expected to be at the village by next week.