404,000 issued with NRCs in phase two

Four hundred and four thousand people have so far been issued with National Registration Cards (NRCs) under phase two of the mobile issuance exercise as at 20th October, against the total target of 500,000.

Home Affairs Minister Davies Mwila has told Parliament in a ministerial statement today that phase two which commenced on 4th September is covering Lusaka, Southern, Western and Eastern provinces.

He says 156,867 people have been issued with NRCs in Lusaka province against the target of 200, 000,while 86,032 people have been issued with the National Registration Cards in southern province against the target of 80,000 with 53,937 people issued with the documents in western province against the target of 100,000.

Mr Mwila adds that 107,972 people have been issued with NRCs in Eastern province against the target of 120,000.

And Mr Mwila says the treasury has approved a supplement budget of K132,831,866 towards the NRC issuance exercise in addition to the approved budget of K25 million.

And Mr Mwila says the third and last phase of the NRC issuance exercise to cover Copperbelt, Luapula and North Western provinces will be launched on 23rd October.

Mr Mwila says the treasury has since released a total of K30 million for the commencement of the third phase of the exercise.

He says this follows several complaints from the three provinces on the non commencement of the exercise considering that the Electoral Commission of Zambia had already commenced the mobile voter registration exercise.