Lucia Iipumbu at Karasburg, 30 June 2025
I am delighted to be here this morning to join the residents of Karasburg for the official opening of the new sub-regional office of the Ministry of Home Affairs, Immigration, Safety and Security.
The ministry opened its sub-regional office here in Karasburg in 2008, which has been operating from the old hospital building until recently. I want to express my gratitude to the leadership and management of the Ministry of Works and Transport for providing us with office space from where we could serve our people. It goes without saying that with these kinds of institutional collaborations, we can collectively serve our people better and move our country forward.
However, as the office continued providing services, it became evident that the space was neither conducive nor convenient enough to both clients and staff members. I believe that to fulfil its mandate, which includes, among others, the facilitation of lawful migration and management of the national population register, the ministry needs offices that are adequately resourced in terms of human capital and requisite infrastructure.
The sub-regional office comprises two departments, namely, the Department of Civil Registration and the Department of Immigration and Border Control. The two departments have been providing the following services to the community of Karasburg and surrounding areas:
Department of Civil Registration
▪ Birth and death registration
▪ Alteration and corrections on national documents (birth, death and marriage certificates)
▪ Applications for duplicate documents (birth, death, marriage certificates and identity cards)
▪ Issuance of confirmation letters (birth, death, marriage and identity cards)
▪ Identity card distribution
Department of Immigration Control and Citizenship
▪ Applications for passports
▪ Applications for citizenship
▪ Applications for visas and permits
Located a distance away from the central business district and being far from the police station where clients would at times be required to provide declarations and affidavits, the office was not conveniently placed, especially for senior citizens. Hence, there was a need to have an office in proximity to the police station so that our people can conveniently access both offices.
In 2021, after constructing a new police station, the Namibian Police Force donated this building, which is conveniently close to the police station, to the civilian component of the ministry to be used for immigration and civil registration services. I want to thank the inspector general and his predecessor for this noble gesture.
I have also noted the long distances the inhabitants of Karasburg travel to Keetmanshoop for ID services, which is more than 200km away. Plans are therefore in place for this office to expand its service offering to include ID services (i.e. applications for identity documents and capturing) during the fourth quarter of this financial year (2025/26).
The Department of Immigration Control and Citizenship plays an important role in the facilitation of the movement of people across the Namibian borders, managing entry and exit of individuals and overseeing all matters related to migration. Therefore, residents and visitors who need to apply for passports, employment permits, permanent residence permits, citizenship and all other migration-related matters will continue to receive these services at this new office.
To the residents of Karasburg and surrounding areas, I am calling on the parents, guardians and all those who for one reason or another have not yet applied for national documents to do so. Article 15 of the Constitution of our republic provides that “children shall have the right from birth to a name, the right to acquire a nationality and, subject to legislation enacted in the best interest of children, as far as possible the right to know and be cared for by their parents.” Equally, target 16.9 of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals calls for “identity for all, including free birth registration”.
These services are here at your doorstep, and please note that birth registration is free of charge. It is important to register your child immediately after birth to ensure, in addition to the obligations I mentioned earlier, access to essential services such as health, education and, where applicable, social grants. I therefore call on all parents and guardians to register their children immediately after birth.
I urge you to use the services offered by this office. Take good care of these properties and preserve them for the next generation.
With those words, it is now my honour to declare the Karasburg sub-regional office of the Ministry of Home Affairs, Immigration, Safety and Security officially inaugurated.
I thank you.
