Tag Archives: Norman Fulatira

Lifestyle, Malawi

Malawi rolls out mass National ID registration, renewal

Maravi Post Reporter
Homeland Minister Chimwendo touring centre NRB centres

By Tawonga Sesani

BLANTYRE-(MaraviPost)-The National registration Bureau (NRB) will continue mass outreach program for national Identity Card registration, renewal and replacement.

In a statement signed by Moses Chiwoni Chief Director in the Ministry of Homeland Security says that citizens whose ID’s where lost, damaged, expired or those who have reached 16 years of age will be able to either replace there cards or register for a new one.

The statement further informs the general public that the exercise on Wednesday, May 26 2021 will start in four districts of Blantyre, Zomba, Mzimba and Lilongwe.

“Thereafter from June 1st, 2021 the exercise will be rolled out to all wards across the country. During the exercise NRB will place teams of registration officers at centres in every ward, Citizens who are replacing their ID’s will be required to pay a fee of MK2500 to a treasury cashier at the particular centre. In case of lost ID’s citizens will be required to bring a police statement as part of proof,” reads the statement.

NRB Spokesperson Norman Fulatira claps for the move saying it will reduce congestion in district registration offices.

“We want to assist people in rural and hard to reach areas to renew their cards,” he said.

The will need about MK5 billion for the exercise this year.

Registration and identification of the Malawian citizens followed the National Registration and Identification System Project which supported NRB to have a functional and sustainable registration and identification system that would support improvements in service delivery, governance, economic among others.

The new National ID expires in the next ten years.

District News

Mzimba CSOs fear apathy in registration exercise

Malawi News Agency (MANA)

Civil Society Organizations Network in Mzimba expressed fear that the registration for the national identification cards, might face apathy. The network said the exercise started abruptly without sensitizing the public.

Chairperson for the CSOs Network Joshua Hara said on Wednesday he was surprised to see registration staff being deployed in the fields, yet people in the communities were not aware of the exercise.

“We got information that in Mzimba, registration will ?start on 11th October? 2017; but we are surprised to see people being deployed. This will affect the number of people that are going to register.

“Such information of change of dates, was supposed to come through the District Executive Committee (DEC) or through full Council meeting so that all chiefs and councillors are available for easy communication to the public,” Hara said.

He said as a national exercise, it should be given priority for more sensitization before the activity starts.

District Civic Education Officer for Mzimba, Cosmas Longwe, said his office was also taken by surprise about the change of dates.

He said to ensure the information on the start of registration spreads in the district, the office he represents, National Initiative for Civic Education — NICE — is used as its volunteers fan out to send communication to churches to alert people about the start of the exercise. He said trust strategizes on sensitization.

In his response to claims of the abrupt start of registration in Mzimba, spokesperson for the National Registration Bureau (NRB) Norman Fulatira, downplayed the sentiments, saying what was good was that the exercise had started.

“It is actually good that the exercise has started. The office of NICE received sub-granted funds meant for sensitization across the district to ensure all people are alerted,” Fulatira said.

Malawi

Malawians of Asian origin take NRB to task for infringing their rights

Ausborn Banda

Malawi National IDSome Malawians of Asian origin this week accused the National Registration Bureau (NRB) officers stationed registration centres in some parts of the country, for being biased and discriminatory especially when carrying their duties in the ongoing national identy cards registration exercise.

One member of the group Rafik Gaffar, confirmed the development; he said the NRB officers working in the centers are barring Malawians of Asian origin, to register.

“They said we are not allowed to directly registered at the centers, but to go through the office of the District Commissioners, while our fellow Malawians are not doing that,” he said.

“We are also Malawians by birth and we therefore do not deserve this kind of biased treatment. This is against our constitutional; and it infringes our rights. It must stop, Gaffar said.

Maravi Post on Tuesday confirmed that the group on Monday, presented their complaints to the Malawi Human Rights Commission (MHRC) in Lilongwe.

During their meeting, the concerned members also tasked the MHRC to interpret the meaning of the term ‘indigenous Malawians,’ which they said is normally used when issues of citizenship arise.

While confirming the development to journalists after the meeting, MHRC Executive  David Nungu, said the group wanted fair treatment despite the cookout of their ski.

“In brief most of the Malawians of Asian origin, were born in Malawi, and so were their forefathers,” said Nungu.

According to him, the MHRC will take the appropriate action once it is through with its consultations on the matter.

In his remarks, NRB Spokesperson Norman Fulatira, said no officer is abusing such Malawians.

According to him, registration is open to all Malawians and that those who are finding it difficult to register, should go to the nearest District Commissioner’ office to get registered.

Malawi

Minister Chiumia clears mist on national ID registration: ‘Not for elections rigging’

Ausborn Banda

Grace Chiumia
Malawi Minister of Home Internal Security Grace Chiumia

The Minister of Home Affairs and Internal Security, Grace Chiumia, on Saturday clarified misconceptions surrounding the ongoing mass registration exercise regarding the National Identification Card Program.

Word on the street, especially among opposition political parties, is that Government wants to use the identity cards to rig the 2019 general elections.

Chiumia was speaking in Blantyre when she presided over an interface meeting with members of the Blantyre Press Club (BPC), organised by the National Registration Bureau (NRB), to orient journalists on the ongoing mass registration exercise.

She said the cards are meant to identify eligible Malawians to participate in all aspects of national development.

“I am impressed with the way many Malawians are patronizing the registration centres, which is good for the success of the exercise. However, I must clarify that these cards are not, in anyway meant to rig the 2019 elections as some sectors of society are speculating,” she said.

Chiumia said tight security measures were instituted to combat any malpractice that may interfere with the exercise.

“Among other security measures, we are encouraging people to bring authentic identification and if they do not have valid identification documents, they should make sure that they provide at least two witnesses.

This is important, since registration officers will be assured that they have registered only eligible Malawians,” she said.

The third phase of the exercise, which started on July 13, is currently being implemented in seven districts.

According to the Nation Registration Bureau Public Relations Officer (PRO) Norman Fulatira, the last phase of the national mass registration exercise, is expected to end in November this year.

Fulatira added that NRB will soon deploy machines in all the country’s major hospitals to register newly born babies as part of the exercise.

 

Malawi

National Registration Bureau earmarks 95,000 Malawians for national ID issuance

Maravi Post correspondent

Sample ID
Sample ID

LILONGWE-(MaraviPost)—At least, 95, 000 Malawians are expected to have national identity cards (IDs) in the 2016/2017 financial year, The Maravi Post has established.

This is a welcome development consideration security lapses the country is going through where foreigners reside freely due to improper identification systems.

In a press statement made available to The Maravi Post, The National Registration Bureau (NRB) in the Ministry of Home Affairs and Internal Security has secured MK1.5 billion to carry out the exercise in this new fiscal year plan.

Malawi government has therefore signed a contract with SELP SAS of France as the service provider who will supply equipment at Production Centre for the printing of the national IDs.

This is the second phase of the exercise after NRB successfully issues ID’s to 5,000 Malawians in pilot phase.

NRB says those aged 16 and above will be eligible for ID issuance and that sectors of the population including civil servants are on target.

“It is envisaged that after the initial phase, the NRB will embark on the second phase of registering another 95,000 Malawians from other sectors of the population including the civil service. The rest of the adult population will be registered and issued national IDs in the mass registration phases where Malawi Government and Development Partners are expected to fund the process.

“In the initial phase of the issuance of national IDs, NRB has selected a few sites in 11 districts across the country including Lilongwe, Mchinji, Dowa, Salima, Blantyre, Chikwawa, Thyolo, Mangochi, Chitipa, Mzimba and Nkhatabay.

At each site, 200 Malawians are expected to be registered and issued IDs. In the registration process, applicants will be vetted to ensure that they are bonafide citizens of Malawi. This will continue throughout all the 3 phases of the registration and issuance of IDs.

“NRB is aware of the fact that Malawians have waited for a long time and are therefore eager to be issued with national IDs. Efforts are being put in place to roll out the mass registration exercise from July 2017 depending on availability of funding from both government and development partners”, says NRB statement issued by its Public Relations Officer, Norman Fulatira.