Child rights activists in the country have condemned registration of underage to access national identity cards will have serious implications on child rights protection.
According to activists Amos Chibwana and Jennifer Mkandawire, it will be difficult to defend rights of abused children on defilement or early marriages because their IDs show that they are old people.
“Some districts that are registering more children will be denied child related developments because they will show as if there are few or no children in those areas of districts,” said Chibwana.
Mkandawire on her part said registered children risk losing some benefits that target children only and she cautioned those authorizing children to register to consider child rights first.
“It is unfortunate that NRB is registering the underage contrary to their own law which does not allow minors to register. And parents, chiefs and politicians who are influencing this malpractice should be taken to task,” said Mkandawire.
In the the past two weeks, Molere Parish priest, Father Mathews Semba, challenged National Registration Bureau (NRB) to explain what the nation is not understanding on why the bureau is registering the underage.
“It is surprising that more children are being registered in Thyolo, Mulanje and Phalombe where registration for Fresh Presidential Elections is underway,” wondered Father Semba who is also Director of Social Service in Chikwawa Diocese.
meanwhile, NRB is denying the claims saying it is only registering those who have 16 years and above though some quarters have been claiming to have evidence on the same.
