06 Sep 2015

A 54-year-old Motswana of Zezeru religious group, Mr Eric Tshamba is overjoyed after being issued with a National Identity Card (Omang).

When he was finally issued the card by the Department of Civil and National Registration in Francistown, he felt the heavy burden that he has been carrying for quiet sometime finally off loaded from his shoulders.

Mr Tshamba, who resides at Maseka ward in Mandunyane said he was certain that the identity card would forever transform his life and that of his family for the better.

“When I was finally given my identity card I could tell that I was kissing goodbye the challenges I faced before I had the card,” he said.

Narrating his story, Mr Tshamba had nothing to say except to praise and appreciate the government for finally answering his request to be given the necessary legal documents for him to be considered a citizen of the country.

He said his parents were the followers of the Gospel of God Church International from Zimbabwe and they came to Botswana around 1949 on a voyage to preach the gospel.

He said they first settled at Moroka and with time they relocated to Maun still on a mission to preach the gospel.

“I have been here since birth and I am now used to this place, so when my parents relocated to Maun I decided to remain behind,” he said.

Mr Tshamba, who is a polygamist with two wives said  they were known to be smith-men doing  items such as metal buckets, bath tubs, livestock bells and others for profit making.

However, he said with time, the business proved to be a challenge due to high cost of their raw materials, and as such it became difficult to provide his family to his satisfaction.

 “Though I could provide my immediate family with the basic needs such as shelter, food and others, still the lack of the identity card disadvantaged me,” said the father of nine.

He said the fact that his children could not benefit from government education system gave him sleepless nights.

Furthermore, although they were known to be hands on people, some of his children had shown interest in going to school, but due to the fact that he had no legal documents to prove beyond reasonable doubt that he is a Motswana, they could not follow their dreams.

“This was so disturbing because I could not afford them school fees, especially at the tertiary level,” he said.

Mr Tshamba said with the card, all is well because he managed to process some legal documents for some of his children and has also managed to open a savings account at the post office.

He said the identity card brought him much happiness and his dream has finally come into reality as he has free access to necessities such as medical attention and others.

“With this card, I am now in a position to seek some government programmes, which will help me improve my metal work business and the well-being of my family,” he said.

Mr Tshamba advised some of his colleagues, who were faced with the same challenge, not to despair, rather he said they should exercise patience with hope that they would be given the necessary assistance. He also condemned some people who had the tendency to give government officials false information, saying they were some contributing factors that make the government doubt them.

For his part, the chairperson of Mandunyane Village Development Committee , Mr Samuel Mutoriti noted that they were grateful for the government interventions in terms of giving the Bazezuru all the necessary support.

Besides, the issue of citizenship, he said some Bazezuru had benefitted from poverty eradication programmes such as backyard gardens and bakery.  Ends