WINDHOEK, Aug. 5 (Xinhua) — Namibia moves to end the historical exclusion of its indigenous San population by providing legal identity documents through a nationwide mobile registration campaign targeting remote and underserved communities where access to public services has long been limited.
The campaign provides birth certificates, national identity cards, and other civil documents to the San, one of Namibia’s most marginalized indigenous communities, which have historically struggled to access education, healthcare, and social protection due to a lack of legal documentation and geographic isolation.
In a statement on Monday, the Ministry of Home Affairs, Immigration, Safety and Security said about 16,153 San individuals were registered between June 23 and July 31, surpassing the program’s initial target of 16,000, well ahead of the official Aug. 30 deadline.
“This is a milestone achievement for this targeted outreach program aimed at providing national documents to people from marginalized communities and thereby enhancing access to social protection and other basic services,” the ministry said, encouraging eligible San individuals to register before the program ends.
According to the ministry, mobile teams have been dispatched to remote areas across Namibia to reach individuals who have not previously had the opportunity to obtain identity documents.
The initiative is part of a broader government commitment to inclusive development and aligns with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 16.9, which calls for legal identity for all by 2030, it added.
