Civil society activist Sylvester Namiwa has raised fresh alarm over Malawi’s passport system, alleging that unnamed individuals continue to profit from a controversial printing deal while ordinary citizens shoulder high costs.
In a statement dated January 26, Namiwa said the Madrassa passport printing contract, signed under the previous MCP administration, remains suspicious because it has neither been reviewed nor cancelled despite a change in government.
“There are names suspected to have benefited from this contract and since nothing has changed, they continue to benefit at the expense of a Malawian passport seeker,” Namiwa said.
He argued that the persistence of the deal suggests it was never negotiated in the best interests of Malawians, especially given that officials linked to it later lost public trust and were voted out.
Namiwa’s remarks come days after Homeland Security Minister Peter Mukhito publicly acknowledged rampant corruption at the Department of Immigration and Citizenship Services.
While welcoming the minister’s admission and President Peter Mutharika’s pledge of zero tolerance on corruption, Namiwa said unresolved contracts undermine those commitments.
Invoking the Access to Information Act, he demanded public disclosure of the passport printing contract and a full breakdown of passport pricing, insisting that transparency is the only way to expose who is really benefiting.
