Staff Reporter
NAMIBIA’S planned electronic identity card (e-ID) will replace the current national identity card with a more secure document that supports digital government services, while allowing existing IDs to remain valid until they are officially phased out.
The Ministry of Home Affairs, Immigration, Safety and Security said the new card will contain an embedded microchip with the holder’s personal information, fingerprints and facial biometrics. The e-ID forms part of the government’s broader digital transformation strategy and is intended to make identity verification faster and more accurate when accessing public and private services.
Speaking at the Government Information Centre, Deputy Executive Director for Civil Registration and Chief Registrar Jackson Wandjiva explained that the e-ID would be a physical smart card, using technology similar to that found in electronic passports and bank cards.
He stressed that the microchip would be embedded in the card and not implanted in people, dismissing social media claims that the government intended to introduce microchips into citizens’ bodies.
“There is no truth in that. What I explained in the beginning, it’s a physical card and on that card is the one that has a chip inside it. So nobody is going to get a chip on the body,” Wandjiva said.
Director of National Population Register, Identification and Production Petra Simasiku said the new card would look similar to the current national identity document, but would introduce significant changes in technology, security and digital integration.
The e-ID will contain a secure microchip hidden beneath the Namibian coat of arms and will be capable of storing biometric information and other data.
Another change will be the introduction of a 12-digit identification number, replacing the current 11-digit number. The new number will be randomly generated and unique to each holder, no longer directly linking the number to the holder’s date of birth.
The e-ID will also have a validity period of 10 years, unlike the current identity card, which does not expire.
In addition to the physical card, the system will support a mobile identity that can be used through smartphone applications. This will allow electronic authentication, digital signatures and access to online services.
Wandjiva said the e-ID would provide a trusted identification platform that could support innovation, digital commerce and financial inclusion.
He said the system had been certified by the Communications Regulatory Authority of Namibia (CRAN), allowing service providers and developers to build digital services around a trusted source of identity verification.
Banks and other financial institutions would also be able to verify customers more quickly and accurately, making digital transactions easier.
Addressing concerns that the new card could be used to monitor citizens, Wandjiva said the information stored on the chip would remain on the physical card and would not be connected to the internet or cloud-based systems.
He added that the e-ID was intended for identification and verification, rather than tracking people.
Simasiku said citizens’ personal information would continue to be protected through the National Population Registration System, which is governed by legislation and accessible only to authorised personnel.
The introduction of the e-ID will coincide with the implementation of the Civil Registration and Identification Act of 2024, which was passed by Parliament but has not yet come into force.
She said the new legislation contains a specific chapter on data protection, setting out the circumstances under which the ministry may share information and the conditions under which state institutions and private entities may access information held in the national population register.
Simasiku also dismissed claims that the e-ID carried religious symbolism or was linked to the so-called mark of the beast.
“There are no religious marks whatsoever on the e-ID. So there is no link to or any connection to any religious marks,” she said, adding that all features on the card were regulated by law.
The ministry said the e-ID would replace the current identity card as the document issued to applicants once implementation begins. However, existing national identity cards will remain valid and accepted for all purposes until government announces their eventual phase-out.
The rollout date has not yet been announced. Simasiku said the commencement date of the 2024 Act, which is linked to the implementation of the e-ID, would be published in the Government Gazette or through a government notice.
Wandjiva said consultations had already been held with the financial sector, government ministries, members of the public and Parliament. The ministry had also conducted regional visits and public engagements to explain the new system and its benefits.
He said the ministry had not yet visited every region but had trained and equipped regional managers and other staff to continue providing information to the public.
The ministry said public awareness activities would continue before and after implementation, and encouraged Namibians with questions or concerns to approach it for accurate information rather than rely on misinformation.
Photos: MICT
