National ID debate dominates Necof
Dust refuses to settle on the requirement of national identity (ID) card as the sole identification for registration for the September 2025 General Elections.
Political party delegates to the National Elections Consultative Forum (Necof) that the Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) held in Lilongwe on Thursday reiterated their long-standing concerns with NRBs reach for eligible voters in remote areas and others that are yet to obtain their national IDs, arguing many eligible voters will be disenfranchised from the voting process due to lack of the ID.

Various stakeholders also expressed concern about the use of national IDs as the sole identity for voters’ eligibility, saying NRB is yet to capture all eligible voters.
In her remarks, main opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) representative Jean Mathanga, who is also a former MEC commissioner, said every Malawian who is eligible to vote should be given the chance to vote as that is their birthright.
She also called on NRB to set up facilities that will allow people to register during the voter registration exercise.
Another DPP representative, Gladys Ganda, who is also Parliamentary Budget and Finance Committee chairperson, called on NRB to also register people eligible for voting for the national ID every centre that MEC will be registering voters.

She said operating from the district council’s office will not address concerns of many Malawians not being registered.
Said Ganda: “NRB is making voting a privilege when it is a right. Those that cannot afford to travel to the district council to register are being denied their right to vote.”
She wondered if it was a move to deny MCP President Lazarus Chakwera of the votes in the districts, saying MCP wants to see a free, fair and credible election.
UTM Party secretary general Patricia Kaliati also called on MEC and NRB to ensure that people that are by NRB so that they exercise their right to register as voters. eligible to vote are registered
In response, MEC chairperson Annabel Mtalimanja said there is no arrangement to have NRB conduct registration in voter registration centres.
She said: “Remember, the NRB mandate is not limited to elections alone. They register all Malawians from the age of 16 for the national ID, yet the legal voting age is 18.
“If NRB starts registering people in voter registration centres and people see 16-year-olds in those centres, that under age will also be going to the centres, it will be the same parties that will raise allegations that under age children are registering for elections. Let NRB do their job, while MEC also does its job.”
Mtalimanja further reiterated that MEC operations follow the law.
In his remarks, NRB Principal Secretary Mphatso Sambo said the bureau has done a good job in terms of registering Malawians.
He said NRB has registered over 103 percent of the target, adding if there are others that have not registered they should do so as the process is ongoing.
“We did our work properly and if there are others that were left out we will register them. NRB is committed to have everyone registered,” said Sambo.
According to Sambo, the NRB has capacity to print over 200 000 cards per month.
He also assured the Necof that people will access their IDs by the time the voter registration starts, and that the NRB will help in verifying registrants that will not have accessed their IDs.