Tuesday, March 19, 2024

Government approves 156 dual citizenship applications

Share

Zambia’s Ambassador to the U.S Dr. Ngosa Simbyakula
Zambia’s Ambassador to the U.S Dr. Ngosa Simbyakula

The Zambian government has approved 156 dual citizenship applications as a move to support and encourage Zambians living in the diaspora.

Government says the diaspora are a great partner in economic development whose relocation from Zambia should cease to be seen as a brain drain or loss.

Zambia’s ambassador to the USA, Dr Ngosa Simbyakula was speaking in Dallas Texas at the 10 th anniversary of the USA based Zambia Blog Talk Radio(ZBTR).

Zambia Blog Talk Radio 10th anniversary

Dr Simbyakula said Zambians living abroad can still contribute effectively to the Zambian economy without having to leave their foreign adopted countries

“The focus now is to work and develop modalities on how this engagement can be actualized” he added.

Dr Simbyakula pointed out that government’s shifted it’s thinking after realizing that Zambians abroad can help Zambia immensely while living abroad.

He appealed to all Zambians who lost their citizenship before dual citizenship was introduced to apply for reinstatement.

He said countries such as China, India, Israel and Japan have strong bonds with their diaspora citizens who contribute a lot to their economic development.

Reiterating ZBTR’s message, Dallas based pastor, Nathan Nkhama pledged to continue on the path to disseminate balanced news to listeners.

He said his team will push hard to find the news and disseminate it.

Pastor Nathan, a founding member of ZBTR established 10 years ago, stressed that getting news from the right source demands hard work.

The well attended event was graced by, among others, Zambian diaspora association heads in America, Zambian clergy in the diaspora, Zambians and friends of Zambia.

The delegates travelled from many different states of America , Canada and the United Kingdom.

By Pezzy Kudakwashe

28 COMMENTS

  1. WE ALL NEED SAFETY COUNTRIES IN CASE THINGS GET OUT OF HAND?? CLIMATE CHANGE I GUESS. ENCOURAGE THEM TO COME AND BETTER HOME

    • @1 kikikikiki !!!..
      Those of us with no choice will have to build treehouses and hope for the best when the floods come

    • I don’t get it, why should I apply to be a Zambian when I was born and grew up right there in my village in Luapula? I am more Zambian than those born and grew up in Chimwemwe.
      I have American passport, but I lineup on returning citizens.
      I speak Bemba with immigration and ZRA officers, and they stamp my passport. I refuse to pay $30 for non-citizens, because I show them my NRC.
      And use a Zambian NRC at ZANACO bank.
      Fuuck dual citizenship.

    • This was passed as law in January, 2016. After 20 months, Home Affairs Minister Kampyongo said that government was ready to process and after a further 2 years, only 156 applications have been processed! What are we doing here? Are we sleeping on the job by only dealing with 1 every 5 days? This is ridiculous and a shame!

    • Has Professor Hansoni done so too? Has he written to the UN on his University Letterhead about xenophobia in South Africa? Let him stay there! He must go in the middle of the attacks and show them his letter to the UN! CHILDISH.

    • @ Nostradamus well said for I too don’t get it when I hold a Zambian national registration card and can even go to the village I was born at and point out the burial site of the umbilical cord! The whole thing about Zambia and applications even when not necessary is to raise revenue which never gets accounted for!

      And @ Mwana Chinondo good observation as 5 days to process just 1 application is beyond being incompetent and lazy for if you visit offices of these authorities handling the applications they are so well equipped with modern office equipment and technology to do their job! Well attitude towards work is probably an issue!

  2. I thought this is what late president Sata objected to? when did it change? Then people should continue using his name during campaigns?

  3. One of the most progressive things PF has done! Well done for recognizing that Zambians abroad can be an asset to the country.

  4. I don’t even know wtf is happening with this.
    I’ve been to Zambia four times since this pronouncement was made, the first two times would I ask the immigration guys at kk airport and they were clueless. the last two times I’ve gone, I don’t even bother. I just go to the shorter line and present my two passports, both times they’ve only stamped the Zambian passport on entry and then when leaving I give them my other passport and off I go

  5. I think saying Zambia approves dual citizenship is actually a misnomer because there’s nothing one needs to do, as long as one holds a Zambian passport and that or another country, s/he is a dual citizen.
    and then then there’s trio citizenship, so what are they gonna do about it…as soon as my Zambian passport expires I don’t think I am gonna renew it…I don’t see the need. I don’t think my being a Zambia has to do with a document. i’ll remain with the two that I need

  6. @Mukolwe as I understand it you can’t stay long without a Zambian passport. You would need to renew your visa every other week, which is a pain.My wife suffered the same fate until she pulled out her illegal Zambian passport. Immigration did not have issues. Now she whisks in and out at much funfare.

  7. All very well for the Zambian Government civil servants patting their backs for a meager 156 dual citizenship applications approved. How about the promise to “improve access to land acquisition for the diaspora through the online portal”. Where is the Website for this? Why is everything shrouded in a cloak of secrecy and who you know?

  8. It would be more telling on real life conditions in Zed if a lot of real foreigners sought our dual citizenship more than Zambians abroad.

  9. Still taking about dual citizenship,I thought people who obtained any citizenship of another country after amendment of the constitution (accepting dual in Zambia) were not affected.Only people who renounced the Zambian citizenship before dual citizenship was approved can reapply and are the ones affected.No wonder we will not develop.The are more important things than dual citizenship.No news here

  10. Why the need to re-apply? You are making money from applications and pretending to be Good Samaritans over god given rights. Others are working on free movement and you are busy caging your own people. Cut out the politics.

  11. The law allowed Zambians to have dual citizenship after Independence. A few years later, Kaunda abolished this and it became law that you could only hold one. The Constitution was amended to state that if you acquired another citizenship, you would automatically cease to be a Zambian after three months. Before this re-introduction of the dual citizenship, technically it meant those who had attained foreign nationalities, but were still using the Zambian passport to travel to Zambia, were doing so illegally. The law now says those who lost their Zambian citizenship (although some have never considered it to be the case or realized it) when they acquired new ones, may now reapply for the same. It is a choice.

  12. There are many advantages of holding dual nationality – but some potential and real pitfalls, depending on which other nationality you hold. For example, if you both British and Zambian nationalities (The British do not prevent anyone from this status) and you travel to Zambia, and something happens there (like war, God forbid), you will not be availed to the full protection of the British government – you will be the responsibility of Zambia while you are there. Those with the single British nationality will be given full preference, including refugee in the British consulate or evacuation back to the UK. Secondly, if you commit a very serious crime in the UK, whilst possessing dual nationality, you may be deported. If you are only British, it cannot be done as you will be Stateless.

Comments are closed.

Read more

Local News

Discover more from Lusaka Times-Zambia's Leading Online News Site - LusakaTimes.com

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading