Parties fume at NRB data

What was meant to be a forum for political parties to appreciate National Registration Bureau (NRB) national identity cards (IDs) data turned into a showdown as opposition parties visibly felt not amused with presentations.

Section 4(12) of the Presidential, Parliamentary and Local Government Elections Act prescribes the national ID as the sole form of identification for voter registration; hence, the tension over the figures, especially among opposition parties.

In an apparent bid to strike a compromise, the parties, which included Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), UTM Party, People’s Party, United Democratic Front (UDF) and Alliance for Democracy (Aford) pushed the NRB to resolve to work with the Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) in the voter registration for the September 16 2025 General Elections. Malawi Congress Party (MCP) was also represented at the meeting.

During the highly-charged data dissemination workshop organised by NRB for the Centre for Multiparty Democracy (CMD) in Mponela, Dowa yesterday, NRB Principal Secretary Mphatso Sambo, who was rarely given a chance to be heard, could not commit to the suggestion.

“I can assure you that we will register all those that are eligible to register in line with the law. Our registration is ongoing, it has not stopped,” he said.

But his explanation was interrupted with interjections from some political party delegates.

From the start, it was clear that the NRB would not have it easy as it tried to convince parties that the figures captured were a true reflection of the situation on the ground and that the information can be verified with district authorities they work with during national ID registration exercises.

In his presentation, National Statistical Office (NSO) chief statistician Richard Phiri explained how they determine population projections and that it is done for planning purposes.

However, he could not finish his presentation as party representatives countered that they were not interested in how projections are done, but how NRB captured its data.

Phiri handed over the floor to NRB head of identity management Mbawaka Mwakhwawa who was also forced to rush through the slides of the presentation.

Aford director of elections David Katete, who was supported by the others, said: “We are not interested in birth or death registration. We want to know how each district is standing and explain why you registered more in the Centre over other places.”

This opened a can of worms as political party leaders emptied their chests.

UTM Party secretary general Patricia Kaliati said it was unbelievable that NRB was boasting of success when it was “well known” that it has not been efficient.

She reminded the NRB head of how she personally called him to complain of challenges in Mulanje which included dysfunctional power generators and lack of registration forms.

In response, Sambo acknowledged that NRB could only register a limited number of people in a day based on the capacity of equipment.

UDF representative Esther Jolobala said the bureau has registered less than projected numbers in Machinga as some centres were allocated only two litres of fuel for a generator to run for five days in some centres.

But CMD chairperson Elias Chakwera, representing MCP, said it was wrong to conclude that NRB only beat the registration target in the Central Region. He argued that in Dowa, where he comes from, NRB registered less than projected figures.

Former MEC commissioner Jean Mathanga, who was representing DPP, said NRB should consider partnering MEC to improve on registration.

Chipping in, Kaliati said: “What should journalists tell the nation we have agreed here?”

To which Sambo responded: “NRB will continue to register all eligible Malawians in line with its mandate.”

In an interview after the meeting, Sambo could not commit that it would partner MEC.

Meanwhile, the data NRB presented yesterday shows that over 12 million people in their register will be above the age of 18 in 2025, making them eligible to vote.

The bureau has come under fire from opposition parties for purportedly investing more efficiency in the national ID registration in the Central Region, the stronghold of the governing Tonse Alliance key partner MCP while frustrating the same in other areas.