By Rahma Suleiman , The Guardian
A total of 6,308 National Identification Authority (NIDA) cards printed for Zanzibar residents remain uncollected, Home Affairs Minister Patrobas Katambi has said, warning that delays could affect access to services requiring the documents.
Katambi said despite NIDA introducing technological systems to notify citizens via text messages when their cards are ready, many have yet to collect them.
Speaking to journalists at the Police Force Headquarters in Zanzibar, he commended NIDA for registering 943,284 Tanzanians and stressed the need for those registered to complete the process by collecting their identity cards.
He said national identity cards are essential in daily life, urging citizens not to rely solely on their NIDA numbers when their physical cards have already been printed and are awaiting collection.
Katambi attributed the delays partly to the use of NIDA numbers to access certain services, saying this had reduced the urgency among citizens to collect their cards.
“It is true that someone may have a NIDA number, but there may come a time when you need a particular service and are required to present the actual identity card. We should not wait until we need it before starting to look for it,” he said.
He warned that the government could introduce measures requiring citizens to present physical NIDA cards to access services that currently accept identification numbers alone.
In another development, Katambi said the government was considering introducing fines for citizens who delay collecting their identity cards after being notified that the documents are ready.
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