All citizen records back from RSA

ALL birth, death and marriage records of Namibian citizens from the time before Independence have been returned to Windhoek and South Africa only kept copies in Pretoria, the Home Affairs and Immigration Minister has said in Parliament.

Delivering a ministerial statement this week, Minister Rosalia Nghidinwa said 14 873 death records, 2 799 marriage records and 3 452 birth records, the latter bound in book form, were brought to Windhoek during the recent visit of South African President Thabo Mbeki. “South Africa made copies of all records and both countries have access to the originals,” Nghidinwa said.”Since all the records are now here in Namibia, those citizens who still have the old South West African ID cards should come and apply for new Namibian IDs.The time will come when the Ministry of Home Affairs and Immigration will no longer allow the old ID cards to be used.”Efforts to have the records transferred to Namibia started seven years ago.South Africa still had marriage records from the early 1930s to the 1970s, birth, death and marriage records from 1972 to 1978 and records of marriages in Walvis Bay between 1990 and February 1994, when Walvis Bay was incorporated into Namibia.”South Africa made copies of all records and both countries have access to the originals,” Nghidinwa said.”Since all the records are now here in Namibia, those citizens who still have the old South West African ID cards should come and apply for new Namibian IDs.The time will come when the Ministry of Home Affairs and Immigration will no longer allow the old ID cards to be used.”Efforts to have the records transferred to Namibia started seven years ago.South Africa still had marriage records from the early 1930s to the 1970s, birth, death and marriage records from 1972 to 1978 and records of marriages in Walvis Bay between 1990 and February 1994, when Walvis Bay was incorporated into Namibia.