No NRC’S Were Issued To Non-Eligible Persons And Foreigners During The Just Ended Exercise

Home Affairs Minister Hon. Stephen Kampyongo has clarified that no national registration cards NRC’S were issued to non-eligible persons and foreigners during the just ended mobile issuance of NRC’S. 

Delivering a ministerial statement in parliament today, on the ‘ purported issuance of NRC’S to non-eligible persons’, Hon. Kampyongo said it is disheartening to note that there are some individuals who were claiming that Government was issuing NRC’S to underage children and foreigners. 

He said such misinformation and propaganda was orchestrated to discredit the Government. 

“Sir, between 1st August and 4th November 2020 outreach activities were conducted. These were in form of the mobile issuance of NRC’S which were conducted in two phases, with each phase targeting five provinces. It is disheartening that there have been people saying that NRC’S were issued to underage persons and foreigners. This misinformation and propaganda was orchestrated to discredit Government,” Hon. Kampyongo said.

And Hon. Kampyongo disclosed that during the just ended mobile issuance of NRC’S Government-issued over 1,592,000 NRC’S to eligible Zambians representing 106 percent overall performance. 

Hon. Kampyongo said the just ended mobile issuance of NRC’S was not without challenges as 1500 blank NRC’S were lost and saw the arrest of two registration officers who will appear in court soon.

” Sir, on 18th October, 2020 two officials from a named political party while appearing on Muvi TV ‘ the assignment ‘ program produced a large stack of NRC’S claiming they were irregularly issued and one of the NRC’S had a serial number which was within the range of the lost 1,500 blank NRC’S and the two officials have since been arrested and charged with forgery, altering false documents and being in possession of property believed to have been stolen,” Hon. Kampyongo said.

Meanwhile, Hon. Kampyongo has cautioned people using social media to spread falsehoods that the law will catch up with them regardless of their status in society. 

“Government will not allow desperate politicians to discredit democratic processes through the transmission of messages of hatred and propaganda,” Hon. Kampyongo said.

This article originally appeared on Lusaka Times