African countries commend Home Affairs' performance

WINDHOEKGORDON JOSEPH The spokesperson of the Ministry of Home Affairs and Immigration, Salome Kambala, says many African countries have commended Namibia for improving its birth, death and marriage registrations. Speaking to Namibian Sun this week, Kambala said 65% of children were registered before their first birthday during 2012 - a great improvement from the 32% of 2008. According to her, 92% of the Namibian population has acquired a birth certificate according to 2011 population and housing census. "We continue to send mobile teams to remote areas to make sure that all Namibian people have access to identity documents," Kambala added. The ministry has strengthened co-operation with the ministries of health and social services and gender equality and child welfare with regard to the registration of vulnerable children. All records of births, marriages and deaths are being computerised and the relevant law is being revised for tabling in parliament next year. Kambala said delegates from Malawi, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Lesotho and Botswana visited Namibia recently to learn from the ministry's operations and its coordination with other ministries. She said as part of the national population registration system, demographic information and fingerprints for IDs have been captured since 1978. The information from this database is being linked to other vital events such as births, deaths and marriages.