By Joseph Dumbula
Malawi has now plunged into a situation that commentators are branding as a state of disarray as the Southern African nation has not been able to print passports, with crucial state agencies like grain trader Admarc also falling off their operations.
The passport situation has come from the start of the year when Malawi Immigration Department admitted it is currently unable to issue passports due to technical challenges.
But the situation has now gone off hands, with people failing not just to renew their passports, but also not being able to issue fresh applications as it were.
One of the applications in Blantyre, Malawi’s Commercial City could not hold her disbelief when she learnt that her details for an application to an expired passport were ‘not handy’.
‘’ I have taken so many days to conclude all due processes. The officers have blatantly said to me that they will say when all issues are resolved. I am so worried because I cannot travel to South Africa for my business endeavors, ‘’says a lady to the Pan African Visions only identifying herself as Matilda.
This has now culminated into viral media reports that the Immigration Department has also lost all the data for passport holders.
Now, the latest situation has came in the wake of the decision by government to cancel a 60 Million Us Dollar contract with Techno Brain Global FZE which was tasked to supply of 800,000 passports.
Interestingly, President Lazarus Chakwera told the nation in parliament earlier last month that the system had been overtaken by hackers demanding an undisclosed payment, claims that Techno Brain has denied any links to.
“We are not in the business of appeasing criminals with public money, nor are we in the business of negotiating with those who attack our country,” Chakwera said.
Subtly, the Information, Communication and Technology Association of Malawi (ICTAM), an umbrella body of all ICT professionals in Malawi has written the Department of Immigration and Citizenship Services to offer technical expertise that will culminate in the recovery of the passport printing system.
However, the civil society has taken him to task over the claims. For instance, the Centre for Democracy and Economic Development Initiatives is due to lead nationwide demonstrations over the situation.
CDEDI Executive Director tells Pan African Visions that the narrative has not been convincing and that it is ironic because government is meanwhile facilitating labour experts of youths to Israel, some of whom are applying to acquire a passport.
As if this is not enough, the Southern African nation is also having a situation in which grain trader the Agricultural Development and Marketing Corporation has seen its operations nearly but all shuttered.
Meanwhile, in an interview with Pan African Visions from Blantyre, an eminent social and political commentator Wonderful Mkhutche has said the state of anarchy with passports and crucially Admarc signify misdirected leadership.
‘’These are signs that there is no proper State leadership. The government exists to provide these public services to the people, but it is failing to do that. This is a great disappointment, especially coming from a government that had promised to move mountains for people’s welfare. The appointments of some of the managers of the agencies is a result of political appeasement. Our appointing authorities are always to throw people’s welfare to the wind as long as they have pleased certain individuals. They are leading the country for themselves, not for the people,’’ he says.
The opposition Democratic Progressive Party, which is led by former President Peter Mutharika has also slammed the Chakwera led government over the situations.
Its leader in parliament, Mary Navicha told parliament that as the opposition, they feel that the government has failed.
But the government has through minister of Information said the situation is under control.
In the last few hours before publication, the Immigration has disclosed that the demographic data for valid passports that was lost due to a cybersecurity breach has been recovered.
However, the printing has not started yet as we conducted a snap check in Blantyre.
“We urge passport holders to guard their passports securely because the recent cybersecurity breach does not affect the validity, security and usability of any passport already previously issued by the department,” says the statement.
