What do you think of e-IDs in Namibia?

Students from Welwitchia University share their thoughts
Nee-Thanks Uupindi
  • 1 Week Ago

Raimi Antonius (21)

I do not have much information about the upcoming electronic IDs. I feel they could affect many Namibians, particularly in terms of cybersecurity. They could also affect people in remote villages who do not have access to smartphones. I do not think it will be a good idea for them to have electronic IDs without proper support. I think more information should be provided on how to use electronic IDs. The roll-out of electronic IDs could bring a lot of confusion among Namibians if people are not adequately informed.


Helena Uupindi (24)

I think it will be a good idea. It will be more effective and efficient. Electronic IDs will help prevent incidents of people using IDs that do not belong to them. It would be a good idea for people to scan their IDs, but I also think additional security features, such as fingerprint verification or a PIN, should be included.


Immanuel Petrus (31)

For me, I think these electronic IDs will benefit the country. They could be very useful because, even when you go to the bank and provide your ID, all the necessary information could be accessed easily. However, electronic IDs can also be risky for some people. They could be harmful if someone gains access to your personal information, as it could potentially be retrieved and used for malicious purposes.


Erickson Kandume (30)

I do not think it is a good idea to introduce electronic IDs because there are already people who still do not have ID cards. It would be better to first ensure that everyone has access to an ID. I do not fully understand the importance of introducing electronic IDs at this stage. The government should carefully consider the matter and provide more information about digital IDs to the nation, especially to people living in rural areas.


Gondolf Mukosho (27)

My thoughts on the upcoming electronic IDs are that there is always a good side and a bad side to everything. The positive side is that it could benefit the government by making it easier to manage information, keep statistics and improve service delivery. Electronic IDs would also mean people would not have to carry physical identity documents, which can easily be lost.

However, on the negative side, citizens’ privacy could be affected. People do not want their movements to be tracked. In addition, with today’s technology and artificial intelligence, systems can be hacked, and people’s identities can be stolen and used for fraudulent activities.

My opinion is that the government should not roll out electronic IDs and should continue using the current system. As they say, ‘old is gold’.


Lia Matiti (25)

I think it is a good idea because it will make processes faster, more efficient and easier. People will not have to carry documents around or certify their ID documents every time. It would be more convenient to have identity information stored electronically, so people can simply scan their IDs and access the services they need.