Angolans rush to get Namibian ID cards

ANGOLAN citizens are allegedly flocking to constituency offices to obtain Namibian citizenship.

This is according to Ongenga constituency councillor Matheus Shikongo and his counterpart at the Okongo constituency, Lebius Efraim.

They yesterday said Angolans started gathering at their offices after they announced the registration of stateless and undocumented people on the Namibian Broadcasting Corporation’s Kati FM morning show, ‘Luganda’.

For the past two weeks, councillors of the northern regions have been requesting headmen and headwomen to register undocumented and stateless people residing at their villages, and to submit their names to councillors’ offices to be registered for national documents.

The traditional leaders are expected to submit the names of stateless and undocumented people before 29 July.

There are Angolans currently camping at Ohangwena, Omusati and Kunene, who have left their country due to widespread drought conditions.

Shikongo says some of the Angolan citizens who visited his office do not possess national documents for their country.

“They allege they have been staying in Namibia for many years when there was a civil war in Angola, and after the war moved to their country. Some have old South African ID cards, indicating Angola as their place of birth. We cannot register them, because they don’t live in Namibia,” he says.

Efraim says he has informed Angolan citizens who visit his office that they cannot be registered.

“We had a meeting with the governor of the Cunene province and the Angolan consul general at Oshakati about all Angolans living in Namibia who should register for documents in their country,” he says.

Okalongo constituency councillor Makana Iipinge berated the headmen at his constituency on a radio show over allegedly compiling a list of more than 100 undocumented and stateless people.

Okalongo is a stone’s throw from the border between Namibia and Angola.

Commissioner of refugees Likius Valombola this week said the Ministry of Home Affairs, Immigration, Safety and Security will only issue national documents to undocumented people and immigrants who moved to Namibia between 1 January 1930 and 31 December 1977.

He said the ministry would also naturalise those who moved to Namibia between 1 January 1978 and 20 March 1990.

Valombola said those who have been in Namibia since 21 March 1990 to date would also be registered.

He encouraged them to apply for permanent residency.

Valombola said registration is taking place in all 121 constituencies in the country and is expected to be completed by 29 July.

AGENDA

It is, however, perceived by many as an opportunity for the government to register Angolan citizens who fled from their country during the civil war, and those who recently fled the drought in Angola.

Namibia Economic Freedom Fighters leader Epafras Mukwiilongo says this move would allow Angolans to vote in Namibia, because traditional leaders may register people who do not reside at their villages.

Last year Swapo’s Omusati regional coordinator, Sacky Kayone, was quoted in the Windhoek Observer as saying that Angolans are being assisted by church representatives and individuals from the Electoral Commission of Namibia to obtain voting cards.

Kayone’s response comes after McHenry Venaani, the leader of the Popular Democratic Movement, accused Swapo of attempting to steal votes through the issuing of voters’ cards to southern Angolans to vote for Swapo.

“These people are voting for the MPLA in Angola and for Swapo in Namibia,” Venaani was quoted as saying.