The Department of Civil and National Registration will as of the 1st of June, 2011 increase the price paid for lost Omang cards to P110.00. By March this year, the department of Civil and National Registration had well over 21 000 identity cards that were uncollected in their offices. The reason for this increase is due to the fact that records from the department have shown that on average the department receives over two thousand monthly applications for lost Omang cards, a number that add on to the over  In his public addresses during kgotla meetings the Minister of Labour and Home Affairs, Honourable Peter Letlhogonolo Siele has expressed great concern at individual negligence and lack of responsibility for their own valuable documents.

The Ministered further pointed out that in many instances people who have reported their identity cards as lost would find them and would not report to the department to not make replacements, leaving government to pay the cost of negligence and lack of care.  He said, “If this happens we continue with the production of the reported missing cards, which will end up pilled in the shelves. It is for this reason that some individuals have more than one Identity Card”. The Minister went on to point out that despite the increased price charge for lost Omang cards, government continued to pay more for the production on the identity document.

Section 11 of the National Registration Act requires that every person issued with an identity card to ensure, to the best of his/her ability, the safety and preservation of the document. Lack of care of is said to be a threat to the security and economy of this country as it may provide criminal with the opportunity to easy to access services targeted towards developing the lives of citizens such as land allocation, specialized loans  and other services from the government.

To avoid pilling up bundles of uncollected Omang Cards, which are disposed of after every 2 years leading to great lose by the government, the public is informed to report to the Department of Civil and National Registration for previously reported missing Omang Cards in case they find them.  Ms Lepang then advised parents to apply for Omang Cards for their children within the stipulated time to avoid penalties, which are by law imposed for late applications. “Every person of or above the age of 16 years who is a citizen of Botswana qualifies to apply for Omang Cards”. She concluded that after reaching 16 years plus 30 days, it then becomes an offence punishable by law because Omang is a fundamental document entitled to every mature Motswana that merit to up to a maximum of P500.00 or imprisonment or both.