Seven Ghanaian technicians arrived at a hilltop site overlooking Malawi’s commercial capital Blantyre in January 2025 to install a social media monitoring system commissioned by the country’s telecoms regulator, in a deal now under scrutiny more than a year later. The system was installed at a former state telecoms facility under a $1.5 million contract […]
An Israeli company, SmartloT has been hired by the regime to instal a Virtual Private Network (VPN) at an IT office to be based as highly secured State residence in Lilongwe which will have capacity of monitoring calls and conversations of all mobile users in the country thereby interfering with Malawians privacy. Insiders at eGovernment […]
Malawi government has denied that it wants to be listening to citizens phone calls through after suggestions that the registration of the SIM cards is a plot to be eavesdropping on conversations to target critics, media, civil society and opposition members ahead of next year’;s elections. There have been suggestions that government wants to use […]
Outspoken Rumphi East member of Parliament (MP) Kamlepo Kalua (People’s Party-PP) stood up in Parliament to raise the issue of the mandatory SIM card registration exercise, asking Minister of Information and Communications Technology Nicholas Dausi if he could be arrested for refusing to register his SIM card. The mandatory SIM card registration is provided for under Section 92 of […]
Malawi government has suspended the mandatory subscriber identity module (SIM) card registration over concerns of State spying and the long queues in verification, government spokesman Nicholous Dausi has told Parliament. There were long queues at service providers as hundreds as people have been trooping out o register their SIMs to beat the March deadline and people have been […]
In telecommunication, regulations are meant to correct market failures in order to protect and promote interests of consumers and citizens. In an ideal world, regulation is an ideal thing to have. But then ours is not an ideal world—it is a world full of opportunists and self-interested individuals. Governments and those who run its affairs […]
Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority (Macra) has rolled out in full swing the controversial Consolidated ICT Regulatory Management Systems (Cirms) machine, widely known as the ‘spy’ machine that is also used to listen to subscribers’ private conversations . Soon after it t was known that Macra has acquired the machine, communications operators in the country went […]
The Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority (Macra) has announced t hat it will start using the Consolidation ICT Regulatory Management System ( CIRMS”, dubbed “spy machine”, from September this year after the nod from Supreme Court. MACRA Director General Godfrey Itaye told reporters at a news conference that following the Supreme Court of Appeal ruling made on […]
The taxpayer will be ordered to pay a US company Agilis International billions for breach of contract after Malawi Communication Regulatory Authority (Macra) , terminated its contract to to supply and implement the Consolidated ICT Regulatory Management System (Cirms) – known in the eyes of the public as ‘spy machine’ . Under the contract with Agilis, […]
United States (US) firm, Agilis International Inc., which supplied the high-tech call tracking system known in the eyes of the public as ‘spy machine’ will have its contract terminated with Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority (Macra) which has opted to hire Global Voice Group of South Africa to implement the Consolidated ICT Regulatory Management System (Cirms) […]
Information minister Patricia Kaliati has queried the rationale behind mobile phone operators decision to keep on blocking the Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority (MACRA) from using the spy machine yet in other countries the situation is different. Macra is failing to use the high-tech call tracking system b known in the eyes of the public as […]
Information and Civic Education Minister Patricia Kaliati warned on Tuesday that the government through its regulatory body, the Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority (Macra), would revoke licenses of mobile phone operators and radio stations that provide poor services. Kaliati issued the warning when she visited Macra offices in Blantyre as part of her familiarization tour of institutions […]
Malawi Supreme Court of Appeal in Blantyre has heard that Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority (Macra) has no technical capacity to operate its monitoring system widely known as the ‘spy’ machine. Lawyer Patrick Mpaka, representing mobile telephone service provider, TNM which obtained an injunction last month that effectively stopped Macra from using the Consolidated ICT Regulatory […]
The Consolidated (ICT) Regulatory Management System (CIRMS) –widely known as Spy Machine – that has for the past four years received some resistance from certain quarters including the country’s phone operators will finally come into effect in January next year, Malawi’s communications regulatory body has said after the High Court in Zomba vacated TNM’s order […]
The High Court in Zomba has dismissed an application by Telkom Networks Malawi (TNM) for a judicial review on matters surrounding the implementation of the Consolidated ICT Regulatory Management System(CIRMS ) project – also known as the spy machine. Though the Malawi Communication Regulatory Authority (MACRA), won all cases both at High court and Supreme […]
Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority (Macra) has bemoaned the conduct of some operators in the communication sector who deliberately hide information to consumers in order to maximize their profits. Speaking during the commemoration of this year’s World Consumer Rights Day at Blantyre Youth Centre, Macra’s Director General, Andrew Kumbatira noted that some operators were taking advantage […]
After Nyasa Times first reported that government has bulldozed Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority (Macra) to authorise payment of US$13, 871.969 to be spent in upgrading the Consolidated ICT regulatory management systems (Cirms) machine otherwise known as the ‘spy machine’, press reports have shown minutes implicating Minister of Information Kondwani Nankhumwa. The Daily Times has reported […]
Controversy has ensued in Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority (Macra) after some board members have confided in Nyasa Times that they are being bulldozed in granting a licence to another mobile operator. In 2008 the Macra board looked at the bids of six companies in an international tender process. During the bid Milcom scored highly with […]