Namibia becomes first country in Southern Africa to launch automated biometric identification system

A working staff displays a fingerprint identification system machine in the building of Electoral Commission of Namibia in Windhoek, capital of Namibia. [PHOTO: Xinhua]

WINDHOEK: Namibia became the first country in the Southern African Development Community to launch the automated biometric identification system Friday in the capital city of Windhoek.

The system is used in the issuance of conduct certificates, which until now have been taking about a year to be produced.

Once the 40 million Namibian dollars (2.8 million U.S dollars) system starts operating, conduct certificates and any other functions to do with fingerprints will be done within two weeks in Windhoek and about one month outside the capital.

The system that was developed in Namibia has two components- the fingerprinting and facial identification.

Speaking during the launch of the first phase in Windhoek Friday, Police Inspector General Sebastian Ndeitunga said the system will eradicate corruption.

"We need to be careful who we allow to operate this system we have to be very much awake and vigilante because they can also invent tactics to evades this system," Ndeitunga said.

The safety minister, Charles Namoloh said the officers that will be deployed to work with the system should be vetted.