Minister of Homeland Security Ezekiel Ching’oma says he is hopeful that challenges surrounding the production of passports will be resolved once government engages a new supplier.
The minister said this yesterday in Lilongwe after inspecting the Department of Immigration and Citizenship Services offices in where he also opened a Migration Information and Data Analysis System (Midas) training.
Midas is a system which is linked to global systems for tracking people coming into a country and the minister said it is critical as it would enable officers at all entry points to know details of people getting into the country.
When asked about the status of resolving challenges with passport printing and some passport holders being inconvenienced due to their travel documents’ failure to scan, Ching’oma acknowledged the issues, but said they will be resolved when a permanent contractor starts working within weeks or months.
Said the minister: “You might be aware that we had problems with the initial contractor [TechnoBrain], then we gave that contract to another contractor.
“We are now at an advanced stage to give a contract and, as government, we are expecting that once this contract is signed and the person starts doing his job, we will not encounter all those problems of scanning with this permanent solution.”
Ching’oma, who was scheduled to also inspect the passport printing services, changed the programme abruptly, saying he was rushing to a meeting at Parliament.
Immigration commissioner for operations Fletcher Nyirenda declined to grant an interview, but in his speech he said the Midas system will play a critical role in strengthening border security.
Ching’oma’s remarks come barely weeks after Malawi passport holder Stevens Prince Thengo filed a K300 million lawsuit as compensation for the inconvenience he experienced and costs incurred after he was denied entry into Israel because his passport was not readable.
In a letter dated February 3 2025 filed by his lawyer William Chiwaya, he is seeking compensation for loss of funds, humiliation, mental anguish and false imprisonment.
There have been several instances of Malawians facing challenges when using recently obtained passports.
Security analyst Sheriff Kaisi said this could mean that Malawi is producing low standard travelling documents.
In April last year, Malawi engaged local information and communications technology firm E-Tech Systems as the new passport system supplier, taking over from Techno Brain Global FZE of the United Arab Emirates.
