MIXED REACTIONS ON REMOVAL OF EXPIRY DATE ON NATIONAL ID CARDS

The removal of expire date on National ID cards by National Registration Bureau has brought several reactions from human rights activists.

Centre for Human Rights and Rehabilitation (CHRR) has welcomed the removal of expiry date on national ID cards as stated by President Dr. Lazarus Chakwera in his State of the Nation Address (SONA).

According to CHRR Executive Director Michael Kaiyatsa, they have always maintained that it is not good for national IDs to expire as the removal will help to save government billions of taxpayers’ money in renewals.

He further said, apart from paying K2,500 to have their national IDs replaced, people also cover long distances to get to registration centres.

Kaiyatsa says once acquired, citizenship is a lifetime right that can only be revoked by the State on specified grounds.

However, the Executive Director for Center for Democracy and Economy Development Initiative (CDEDI) Sylvester Namiwa, says the removal of expire date is not a good decision.

Namiwa also added that renewing national ID when expires helps NRB to have a new look of the holder as the expired card was issued when he or she was young.

Meanwhile, according to international best practice, national IDs are issued for life and do not expire.

African countries such as Zambia, Botswana, Rwanda and Kenya follow this practice.