Nehale lyaMpingana San without papersAllege that voters'' cards were issued without documents Disgruntled San people in Nehale lyaMpingana constituency in the Oshikoto Region are blaming the government for contributing to their impoverished life. The San people in the Nehale lyaMpingana consituency claim that while it is easy for them to acquire voters'' cards, it is very difficult for them to get national documents and without them, hundreds of pensioners and children cannot get social grants meant for the elderly and children.Constituency councillor Leevi Shiningombwa confirmed that hundreds of San people in his constituency are not benefiting from government social grants because they do not have national identity documents. The situation, Shiningombwa said, has forced the San people into severe poverty.
Shiningombwa made the revelation to home affairs and immigration deputy minister, Erastus Uutoni who was inspecting the mobile birth registration campaign in Nehale lyaMpingana constituency last week. Shiningombwa lauded the ministry for rolling out a mobile birth registration and national identity documents exercise in his constituency saying many people in the area do not have identity documents because the issuing offices are in towns, far away from the people.
“These people have to travel about 100 km to register for national documents in Tsumeb, or about 300 km to Omuthiya or over 200 km to Eenhana in the Ohangwena Region. These people are already poor. Who will give them transport money to travel all that distance? It is a good thing that the ministry decided to bring these services to us,” Shiningombwa said in appreciation of the mobile service.
Currently, there are only two national document issuing points in Oshikoto Region in Tsumeb and Omuthiya, and a birth registration point at Onandjokwe hospital.
Shiningombwa further said without the national documents, many people in his constituency are not benefiting from the poverty eradication programmes rolled out or planned by the government. According to some members of the San community, the voters'' registration process was smooth and the cards were issued without national identity cards required.
“Senior citizens are not getting their N$1 100 monthly pension grants and orphans and vulnerable children are not getting their N$500 monthly social grant. My office has made several efforts for these people to get documents, but it is very difficult. Children were born by parents without documents, while elders require people to represent them when they swear that they are indeed Namibians,” he said.
Shiningombwa also told Namibian Sun that San people do not even get sufficient food aid from the government. “They are only getting tinned fish and cooking oil. What are they eating them with?” he asked in awe.
Uutoni announced during his tour, that the home affairs ministry has approved the establishment of new offices in the Oshikoto Region''s remote areas of Eengodi, Okankolo, Tsintsabis, Omuntele, Emanya, Oshana shaNgwali, Omboto, Ekonghola, Ongudi, Olukupa, Ohahati, Omnyekadi, Oshongwe and Okoloti, as soon as funds are available.
Nine officials from the ministry and two members of the Namibian police are in Nehale lyaMpingana until 30 November, issuing national documents and registering births. Responding to concerns raised by Shiningombwa, Uutoni said the exercise should have included officials from the poverty eradication, and gender and child welfare ministries.
“What I heard from the councillor is a lot and it means that officials from ministries of gender and poverty eradication are supposed to be part of this operation. I am going to tell them about this because we need to be together in this operation,” said Utoni.
Civil registration deputy director for the north and western regions, Simeon Nghipandwa said according to an assessment that was done in October this year by the ministry, in Nehale lyaMpingana, they are expecting to issue over 200 people in need of national documents during their stay in the constituency.
ILENI NANDJATO