There was drama on Wednesday afternoon as some opposition members of Parliament invaded into the National Food Reserve Agency (NFRA) Kanengo warehouse after allegedly getting a tip that there was printing of extra National Identity cards by the National Registration Bureau (NRB) at the premises.
Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) legislators Sameer Suleman, Leader of the Opposition in Parliament Dr. George Chaponda, Ben Phiri, Kamlepo Kalua and Bright Msaka were among some of the lawmakers that were seen in the video which has gone viral on social media.
They suspected that the NRB officers where producing ID’s to facilitate rigging of votes for the 2025 General Elections.
Suleman, the Blantyre city south east parliamentarian said it was unfortunate they didn’t find the warehouse supervisor.
“He managed to disappear; we managed to get hold of a lady and some boys that were busy sorting out the cards. According to them, they don’t know much; but what they know is that the cards once they were being printed, they are being sent into the hands of the senior Chiefs, the T/A’s”
NRB Principal Secretary Mphatso Sambo indicated that according to the National Registration Act, the Bureau is the only institution that is implementing and managing the National Registration ID Card, birth and death registrations.
He said it came to their notice that some legislators came to their Kanengo warehouse where the cards are being stored and the Bureau acknowledged their some of their concerns.
However he dismissed assertions of them secretly printing extra cards at Kanengo adding that there’s only one central production facility for the Bureau located in Lilongwe.
According to the PS, the warehouse is being used for sorting the ID’s before sending them to District Councils.
He clarified this is their normal logistical processes because when the Cards arrived at the airport, the media and other stakeholders is invited whenever they receive new ones.
“What is happening at the National Registration Bureau warehouse at Kanengo is a normal process to sort and also to scan the National ID’s using the software that is embedded in our system and start of our day to day operations to locate each and every card where it is.
“We started this way here in June even development partners visited this place, even Ambassadors of other countries who are in Malawi also visited this place, all stakeholders were invited to this place and everyone is aware about this place”
Sambo expressed discontent over the conduct by the parliamentarians saying it was unprecedented as it was done without asking for permission.
Civil Society Organisations, other political parties such as the Alliance for Democracy (AFORD), and the Malawi Human Rights also visited the place.
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