CITIZENSHIP AND STATELESSNESS IN THE MEMBER STATES OF THE SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY 2020 Methodology and acknowledgments This report was written through desk research and the author’s previous experience of researching access to citizenship in the southern Africa region. It analyses the laws in force in the member states of the Southern Africa Development Community (as listed in appendix 1), as well as implementing regulations where available, and other official policy statements. Among the sources are the Briefing paper for UNHCR Regional Conference on Statelessness in Southern Africa, held in Mbombela, South Africa 1-3 November 2011, prepared by the same author. The updated report draws on publications of intergovernmental agencies, as well as government and constitutionally established bodies at national level, including court decisions, and reports by non-governmental organisations. The regional and national offices of UNHCR supplied important information and commentary. The draft report was shared with the government focal points on statelessness in each country, with the assistance of the relevant UNHCR office, for their comment and feedback. This report is proposed as the foundation for further study of the risks of statelessness in each country, based on research in the field. The report aims to be up to date until the end of August 2020 (with the addition of references to the important report of the Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission on access to identity documents, released on 30 September 2020). The tables comparing provisions of national citizenship laws included throughout the report inevitably involve some simplification of complex provisions, and neither these nor the text describing them should be relied upon for a definitive interpretation of the law. Those wishing to understand particular provisions should rather refer to the original texts and seek legal advice in the country concerned. The views expressed and any errors and omissions are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the official view of UNHCR. This report may be quoted, cited, and uploaded to other websites, provided that the source is acknowledged. Thanks for comments and contributions are due to: UNHCR  Emmanuelle Mitte (regional focal point on statelessness for Southern Africa);  Benedicte Voos (regional focal point on statelessness for East and Horn of Africa)  John Mnaku Bonaventura Mhozya (Tanzania)  Aba Opoku-Mensah (Tanzania)  Berhane Taklu-Nagga (Malawi)  Bianca Robertson (Lesotho)  Marla Hamene (Mozambique)  Kamanda Deo Bitakuya (DRC)  Alessandro Telo (Data, Identity Management and Analysis Coordinator for Southern Africa) Government and civil society vi  Angola: Michael Offermann, consultant to UNHCR  Angola and Mozambique: Patrícia Mendes Jerónimo Vink, Universidade de Minho  DRC: Jean Raphael Liema Imenga, Directeur de la Chancellerie et Garde des Sceaux, Ministère de la Justice  Lesotho: Commissioner Mohlolo Felix Lerotholi, Commissioner for Refugees, Kingdom of Lesotho  Madagascar: Noro Ravaozanany and Olivia Rajerison, Focus Development Association UNHCR / December, 2020