Thousands of Mozambican citizens have faced difficulties in obtaining an identity card (ID) due to political instability and violent protests in various parts of the country.

According to a NEWSThe situation has affected the functioning of the civil identification services, leading to the closure of posts and the suspension of the mobile brigades responsible for issuing documents.

The National Directorate of Civil Identification (DNIC) has expressed concern about the situation, especially as the months of November and December traditionally see high demand for identity card issuing services. According to the institution's spokesperson, Gilda Lameque, the limited mobility of citizens and the reduced operation of the service points have resulted in a significant drop in the number of applications processed.

"Demand for services has fallen due to the traffic restrictions. Many people need to regularize their documents, but are unable to go to the service points, and the issuing activities are running at half capacity," explained Lameque.

She also pointed out that students, parents and guardians are the most affected, as they need the documents for school registration, entrance exams and other administrative procedures.

Despite the recent challenges, the DNIC has seen an increase in the production of identity cards over the year. Between January and September, 1.6 million documents were issued, up from 1.3 million in the same period in 2023. However, only 1.4 million IDs were delivered to applicants, representing 87.81% of the total issued by the Civil Identification Services.

The uncertainty about the normalization of services worries citizens, especially those who depend on the document for essential activities. While the country deals with the instability, civil identification services continue to operate on a limited basis, with no forecast for a return to normal operation.

(Photo DR)