National IDs snatching stories worry parliament’s Legal Affairs Committee

Parliament’s Legal Affairs Committee has reacted angrily to reports that ruling party operatives are taking people’s national IDs or getting the details of the IDs on the pretext that the victims would get food or loans from government.

Chairperson of the committee Kezzie Msukwa said this when the committee met National Initiative for Civic Education (Nice Trust) over its preparations for the forthcoming July presidential election.

“IDs are not for sale. Votes are not for sale. You need to go to the people to tell them that they should not handover their national IDs to these people,” said Msukwa.

It is believed that the IDs are taken away from people in opposition strongholds so as to delete their names from the voters roll.

Democratic Progressive Party officials deny the allegations.

Executive director of the Nice Trust Ollen Mwalubunju said his office has received such reports and in some cases referred the matter to police.

Mwalubunju said the organization will embark on massive sensitisation meetings on the matter.