Eswatini has withdrawn recognition of non-Swazi identity cards as valid identification documents and directed financial institutions and other stakeholders to stop accepting them with immediate effect.
The announcement was made by the Ministry of Home Affairs on Monday following a meeting of departmental heads chaired by Acting Home Affairs Minister Pholile Dlamini Shakantu at the ministry’s headquarters in Mbabane.
Principal Secretary for Home Affairs Nhlanhla Nxumalo said non-Swazi identity cards are no longer recognised under the Civil Registration Act and that foreign nationals still holding the documents must obtain replacement acknowledgment documents from the Ministry of Home Affairs.
The acknowledgment document will serve as the new legal form of identification for foreign nationals residing in Eswatini.
“Financial institutions and other stakeholders are advised to discontinue accepting non-Swazi identity cards with immediate effect,” Nxumalo said.
Before the change, non-Swazi identity cards served as the primary government-issued identification document for foreign nationals legally residing in Eswatini.
Holders used the cards to access a range of public and private services, including banking, employment-related transactions and other activities requiring proof of identity.
The ministry said the acknowledgment document would now fulfil that role, although its validity would be linked directly to the holder’s residence permit or other applicable immigration status.
JN/APA