The Minister of Home Affairs, Immigration, Safety, and Security, Albert Kawana, introduced the 'Recognition of Status of Certain Residents of Namibia, their Descendants, and Foreign Spouses Bill' aimed at refining their pathways to full Namibian citizenship.

The bill aims to regularise the status of holders of South West Africa IDs who are unable to acquire Namibian citizenship under the current legislative framework.

The bill further addresses citizenship acquisition through marriage, including customary marriages, for foreign spouses of the document holders.

Namibia still has people in possession of South West Africa Identity Documents who are unable to obtain citizenship due to legal impediments, such as the inability to submit a police clearance certificate from their country of origin, a Permanent Residence Permit, or the fact that they would have to renounce other citizenship before the issue of a Namibian citizenship certificate, among other possible factors.

The Bill recognises individuals who are currently residents of Namibia and who hold valid South West Afica IDs and have lived in Namibia since receiving their IDs but lack formal citizenship documentation.

Dr. Kawana emphasised the importance of submitting applications within five years of the law's enactment date.

"Despite these legal impediments, which cannot be addressed in the Namibian Citizenship Act of 1990, we are all cognisant of the fact that it has been 34 years since Namibia gained independence. The category of persons who are affected have been in Namibia since before independence and have no other home except Namibia. Some arrived in Namibia in 1978, making their residence in Namibia close to 50 years."

Members of parliament made their contributions to the proposed bill.