29/08/2025
Government of the Republic of Zambia has refuted claims by some media reports that thousands of people in Northern Part of Zambia have been affected during the mobile National Registration Card issuing.
Speaking during a media briefing in Monze this morning ,Home Affairs and Internal Security Minister Jack Mwiimbu explained that a two weeks investigation established that during this period, a total of 395 national registration cards were issued in Misengo village of kasenga ward in kasama central constituency, out of which 292 were first registration and 103 were replacements, contrary to media reports claiming that thousands of people in the northern part of the country were affected.
Honorable Mwiimbu said ministry of home affairs and internal security working with the northern provincial administration and officers from the department of national registration, passport and citizenship moved in swiftly to interrogate the reported issuance of faulty national registration cards in misengo village in kasenga ward of kasama District, immediately the unfortunate issue was brought to the attention slightly over two weeks ago.
He added that guided by the principle of transparency and integrity that guides works at the ministry of home affairs and internal security, and in view of the assertions circulating on social media and other sections of the media, pertaining to the reported issuance of the faulty national registration cards in misengo village of kasama District, the Ministry would like to inform the nation that the new dawn administration has been highly responsive in this matter and remedial measures are already being undertaken.
Hon Mwiimbu Sc further said his office would, therefore, like to acknowledge that indeed 395 national registration cards in question were issued to the eligible citizens in misengo village in chief munkonge’s area in kasenga ward of kasama central constituency in kasama district of the northern province, between 25th to 31st may 2025, during the just-ended 90-day countrywide issuance of national registration cards through mobile registration.
The Minister added that physical inspection of some of the retrieved national registration cards indicate that some minor insertions were done using a black pen, especially on the letter “m”, and in some cases the letters were not legible enough due to some non-functioning typing keys on the type-writer, an issue which the responsible registration officers did not table with the dnrpc leadership during the just-ended mobile registration exercise.
He said following the swift intervention in this issue, some of the affected people in misengo village have voluntarily surrendered their faulty national registration cards to the provincial registration office in kasama and the process of replacing the NRCs in question has since commenced. currently, it is difficult to state the precise number of national registration cards that are faulty, not until all the affected people surrender their documents to our district office in kasama.
Hon Mwiimbu added that so far it can be confirmed that 20 cards have been received through the provincial administration and replacements are being done further saying it is also important to note that prior to commencement of the just-ended mobile registration exercise in the province, all the officers who were recruited to participate in the exercise underwent orientation programmes on the guidelines and procedures pertaining to the issuance of the national registration cards.
He said it is regrettable that such an issue occurred owing to failure by the responsible officers to alert senior management when they encountered technical challenges, specifically in misengo village adding that it is on this basis that the department of national registration, passport and citizenship have since charged some responsible officers accordingly and asked them to exculpate themselves.
