Ministry recovers over 3 000 missing records from SA

Namibia has recovered about 3 000 historical civil registration records from South Africa as the home affairs ministry works to address long-standing gaps in the country’s registration system.Home Affairs Minister Lucia Iipumbu told the National Assembly last week that Namibia had engaged South African counterparts to retrieve the records, with some still outstanding.The minister did not clarify how many of the recovered records relate specifically to marriages.“Please visit our offices to ensure that your records are correct,” she urged Namibians.The recovery forms part of broader efforts to improve the completeness and accuracy of the national population register after gaps were identified during the digitisation of historical civil registration records.Long processThe ministry began digitising national documents in 2021.During the process, officials discovered that some physical marriage registers had not been submitted to the ministry or entered into the national system. Other records were still held by churches and magistrates’ courts.These gaps have complicated the verification of civil registration information and contributed to delays in processing applications for services linked to marital status, including duplicate marriage certificates, spousal endorsements, pension payouts and estate administration.More than one million current and historical records had been captured in the national population register, with digitisation still under way, Iipumbu said.She said gaps in the registration system had accumulated over several decades.Although the recovery of about 3 000 records marks progress in efforts to improve the national register, the ministry did not specify how many historical records remain in South Africa or when the recovery process is expected to be completed.

Ministry recovers over 3 000 missing records from SA

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Namibian Sun 2026-10-13

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Ministry recovers over 3 000 missing records from SA

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Namibian Sun 2026-10-13

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