Ridiculous! NRB refuses to register a 60-yr-old Thyolo man because, why didn’t he register kalekale?
Ridicuous! At Molele Primary School registration centre in Thyolo on Friday last week, the National Registration Bureau (NRB) turned back and refused to register for a national identity (ID) card a 60-year-old man because “it doesn’t make sense that a 60-year-old man like him did not register in the previous national registrations”.
This was uncovered by Members of parliamentary committees on Defence and Security alongside International Relations who, while on tour of checking the progress on registrations, were infuriated by the development and quizzed NRB on the issue.
Led by International Relations Committee chairperson Patrick Bandawe and Defence and Security Committee deputy chairperson Simon Salambula, the parliamentarians asked NRB Principal Secretary Mphatso Sambo to cite the provision that restricts Malawians of that age from registering.
In response, Sambo said: “Honourable chair, on behalf of my staff, I already explained that sometimes we encounter such problems. So we handle each and every situation based on how we have received it. In this case, we are going to take action on the matter.”
However Salambula wasn’t in a mood to compromise. Said Salambula: “Don’t apply your opinions in this national exercise. We are not kids, and we don’t want this very bad conduct in Malawi. If he [NRB staff] is doing that in our presence, what happens when we are not present?”
Bandawe , on the other hand, said NRB staff should hunt for the man and process his registration.
“Please let’s handle them [national ID applicants] peacefully because they are also Malawians. Maybe he was a Jehovah Witness Church member and now he wants to register,” he said.
Before touring Molele Primary School, Masambanjati agriculture office and teachers development centre (TDC) mop up registration centres, there was also tension between NRB staff and the legislators at Thyolo NRB office.
Lawmakers for Blantyre North Francis Phiso, Machinga East Esther Jolobala and Zomba Chingale Lonnie Chijere Phiri asked NRB officials questions regarding the challenges the mop up registration campaign was facing.
Some of the issues were shortage of registration forms, lack of awareness campaigns, limited five-day mop up registration and shortage fuel for generators.
Responding on the shortage of registration forms, Sambo attributed the challenge to the national ID renewals. He said registration forms are estimated to cater for the new registrants only.
“Priority should be given to those without National ID cards as one way of ensuring that those that have reached the age [of 16] to attain a national ID card should register. Those coming for renewal are using registration forms meant for new applicants,” he said.
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