A youth rights and good governance watchdog, Mzuzu Youth Caucus has called for a complete overhaul of the Ministry of Homeland Security for overseeing and failing to fix the system for printing passports.
The call comes after President Lazarus Chakwera told Parliament that the country’s passport issuing system was hacked by “digital mercenaries” and two days ago, Minister of Homeland Security Ken Zikhale Ng’oma said the recovery process was at 90 percent.
In a statement signed by chairperson Gomezgani Nkhoma, the network said the passport printing standoff was tantamount to the Department of Immigration and Citizen Services for failure to deliver its mandate to Malawians.
“It is not a hidden truth that Malawians have endured for quite a long time but to no avail to access essential services such as passports, driving licenses, and National Identity Cards. The provision of such services falls under the purview of departments under the Ministry of Homeland Security.
“The Caucus has noted with great concern how the citizenry is suffering at the hands of officials manning the Department of Immigration and Citizen Services, the National Registration Bureau, and the Department of Road Traffic.
“We are of the view that the challenges are caused by unchecked corruption, negligence, incompetence, and dirty immature politics that has infiltrated the Ministry of Homeland Security.
“It is sad and disheartening to see Malawians losing opportunities to transform their livelihood for failing to travel abroad to access education, Health services, and business opportunities because the Passport Issuance System is down.
“We have evidence in our custody of individuals who have lost businesses, work opportunities, education opportunities, and Health Services abroad because the Department of Immigration and Citizenship Services cannot process travel documents,” reads part of the letter
Gondwe said that if the ministry was serious about fixing the problem, it could have gone ahead to engage Tecno Brain, a company that supplied the system.
“This is happening at a time when Tecno Brain had submitted to the government a bid to restore the system in early January this year. We believe government’s failure to take into consideration the offer that Techno Brain tendered on the table, portrays how egocentric and unprofessional officials including the Minister at the Ministry are.
“The regrettable decision by the Ministry is at the expense of hard-working Malawians who want their government to do nothing more than facilitate their travel so that they can explore opportunities elsewhere. Further, Malawians who seek to acquire a driving license or a National Identification Card also meet a similar fate.
“The effect of it is that Malawians are denied access to social services and social economic opportunities. We believe that this is retrogress. It is the right of every Malawian to access a service of their choice whenever and however they need it because such provisions foot on tax payers’ money.
“It is solemn duty of every person holding a public office to meet what is required of that person by satisfying the needs of people. It is our considered view that the country should not be held captive because of few Incompetent individuals.
“It is therefore for this very reason that we ask the President to overhaul the Ministry of Homeland Security which includes firing of the Minister and Director General of Immigration and Citizenship Services with immediate effect,” he said
The network has threatened to hold nationwide demonstrations if the call is not met.
