Cdedi, others plan fresh protests on passports mess
A coalition of concerned good governance advocates is expected to hold demonstrations in Lilongwe on Thursday to demand the resumption of passport printing and reduction of processing fees.
In a letter addressed to Lilongwe district commissioner dated March 5 2024, the grouping of six civil society organisations (CSOs) is notifying the authorities of their imminent protests.
The CSO’s are Centre for Democracy and Economic Development Initiatives (Cdedi), Malawi First, Social Revolution Movement, Mzuzu Youth Caucus, Cdedi Mulanje Chapter and Mangochi Concerned Citizens.
They say their demands follow the termination of the passport processing contract between the government and Techno Brain.
Reads the letter in part: “The peaceful demonstrations will be held from 9.30 hours, starting from the Lilongwe Community Centre Ground via Mchesi, Kamuzu Central Hospital Roundabout to the Immigration offices in Lilongwe where a petition will be presented.”
The CSOs have also highlighted that their notice is only meant to alert the authorities and not to seek permission, as demonstrations are a constitutional right.
The notice comes a day after the Department of Immigration and Citizenship Services said it was on course to resume production of passports after recovering the demographic data feared lost after the passport issuing system has feared to have been hacked.
In a statement, the department said information technology experts from the Department of e-Government, the National Registration Bureau and the Office of the President and Cabinet worked together to restore the system.
Another group led by Oliver Nakoma, Edward Kambanje and Aman Omar also set March 12 to hold demonstrations against the passport mess.
The activists have asked President Lazarus Chakwera to fire Minister of Homeland Security Ken Zikhale Ng’oma and Department of Immigration and Citizenship Services director general Charles Kalumo following the ongoing passport issuance mess.
They believe that both Zikhale Ng’oma and Kalumo have failed and other people should head the ministry and the department.
In an interview, Nakoma observed that the continued challenges experienced at Immigration is an indication that they have failed to delivery and that Chakwera must fire them before March 11 or they will hold vigils at Immigration offices in Blantyre, Lilongwe Mzuzu and Mangochi on March 12 2024.
