NIDA

The National Identification Authority (NIDA) plans to give Dar es Salaam residents an opportunity to disclose foreigners who illegally registered for national identity cards during the exercise which ended recently in the city.

NIDA Principal Information Officer Rose Mdami told 'The Guardian' in an exclusive interview yesterday, that Dar residents will get the opportunity after the Authority completes its evaluation aimed at establishing the authenticity of the details in the registration forms.

Mdami said after the exercise in Dar es Salaam, there has been concern that foreigners may have illegally registered as Tanzanians for the IDs.

She said some people felt that some irresponsible local authority leaders were bribed by foreigners living illegally in the country so as to certify them as citizens.

“Hence NIDA, in collaboration with security organs in the country, are making preparations to give wananchi a wide platform through the mass media, telephone and postal addresses to disclose foreigners suspected to have illegally registered themselves, and let the law take its course,” Mdami said.

She said about 80 per cent of Dar es Salaam residents aged between 18 years and above were registered during the exercise which was officially closed on August 6, this year.

Mdami said that a total of 5,589,720 people were registered during the visit to residences, out of who 2,851,422 applied for national IDs, describing the exercise as successful.

She said NIDA will establish special centres to allow those who were yet to register to do so.

On ways to ensure the challenges which were encountered in Dar es Salaam did not recur in other regions where the exercise was yet to take place, she said NIDA will use the media to educate the public about the exercise.

Mdami also called upon people who are knowledgeable about the exercise to educate their fellows, especifically in rural areas, so they can participate fully in the exercise.

Clarifying about some items asked in the application forms while they not applicable in specific areas, such as street house numbers in rural areas, she said

NIDA has communicated with the Tanzania Communication Regulatory Authority responsible for the preparation of postal codes.

She said the preparation of postal codes had already been done and the codes will be filled in by the registration clerks instead of street house numbers.

The National Identification Authority closed registration for national IDs in Dar es Salaam on August 6, this year after which, according to NIDA Director General Dickson Maimu, the exercise would commence in Coast, Lindi and Mtwara regions, working in collaboration with the National Bureau of Statistics during the national population and housing census.