Eswatini urged to digitize national ID system with regard for privacy, security risks

Activating the digital dimension of the Eswatini national identification system will bring along important socio-economic benefits, but this has to be done in a careful manner to avoid possible data privacy and security risks.

This is the view of the Association of Progressive Communication (APC) as reflected in a recent report published as part of a series on digital rights in Southern Africa.

Per the report, making the Eswatini national ID card “fully exploitable in line with its potential” is a good thing as it could “streamline access to services and online transactions”, but the government must make sure that it gets a balance “between convenience and safeguarding personal information.”

The article recollects efforts made by the Eswatini government to put in place a legislative framework needed to support the country’s digital transformation efforts which include activities such as voter registration and verification, biometric SIM registration, civil registration, the national identification system, as well as financial services and financial inclusion.

In order to foster its socio-economic development, the Kingdom is looking at strategies aimed at developing an ICT ecosystem that can enable it meet some of its national development goals. While it pursues this plan, it is necessary to do more broadly speaking, but specifically in the area of biometrics and digital identity, the report notes.

Talking about digital ID, the advocates say it can, among other things, improve the efficiency of labor markets to streamline verification processes, boost agricultural and land productivity, drive financial inclusion, and streamline the management of the civil service by flushing out ghost workers.

As the government advances its digital transformation plan, the report recommends that it must do so in an inclusive way through broad-based consultations with civil society, and also ensure that all legislative reforms place a premium on respect for fundamental human rights.

The APC also recently published another report on Botswana’s digital transformation efforts in which it urged the country to strengthen its legislative framework in order to address concerns about biometric data security.

Another recent report praised efforts by Southern African countries to protect digital rights through the implementation of data protection laws.

Article Topics

Africa  |  biometrics  |  data privacy  |  digital government  |  digital identity  |  Eswatini  |  national ID