The Ministry of Home Affairs, Immigration, Safety, and Security has reiterated its call to those who do not have identity documents to take advantage of the mass registration programme.

So far, 34,802 people have acquired national documents since the programme's introduction.

The campaign, which started in February, will run until July in all 14 of the country's regions.

Lucia Witbooi, Deputy Minister of Home Affairs, Immigration, Safety, and Security , who was speaking at a meeting with the Otjozondjupa Region's leadership, urged mothers not to wait too long before they could register their children.

"National documents are very important since they contribute to a sense of belonging as well as establish a person's legal identity. The ministry is therefore urging communities in all 14 regions of our country, who, for some reason, are not registered but have the right supporting documents, to approach the nearest office to register their births and obtain ID cards," said Lucia Witbooi, the Deputy Minister of Home Affairs, Immigration, Safety, and Security.

Witbooi, who was speaking at a meeting with the Otjozondjupa Region's leadership, urged mothers not to wait too long before they could register their children.

"The Ministry is urging mothers to register their babies immediately after birth at the hospitals where they were born. Section 15 of the Namibian Constitution provides that children have the right to a name, 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."

Otjozondjupa Governor James Uerikua stressed the need to ensure that San communities have the necessary national documents, especially since the community generally prefers to give birth at home. 

"Also, there are five families who recently entered Namibia from Botswana on a repatriation arrangement, and these people are in the Gam area and should also be visited to see how they can be helped."

Nearly 4,000 inhabitants of the Otjozondjupa Region have applied for birth certificates and identity cards during the outreach programme, which happened at Omatako, Okahandja, Otavi, Grootfontein, Okakarara, Otjiwarongo, and Tsumkwe Constituencies.