Ministry of Homeland Security has said the national registration exercise for National Identity cards will soon be gazetted as part of essential services during current Covid-19 pandemic.

Addressing the media in Lilongwe, Minister of Homeland Security Richard Chimwendo Banda said Covid-19 has disrupted the national registration exercise because the exercise is yet to be gazetted.

His sentiments come as Malawi joins the rest of African countries today, in commemorating the Africa Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (CRVS) Day.

The Minister said with demand for national ID for one to access public services such as Affordable Inputs Programme (AIP) the Ministry needs to reach out to all those who are not yet registered to ensure they are not left behind.

The theme for this year’s Africa CRVS day is: “Civil Registration and Vital Statistics: An Essential Service for Monitoring and Mitigating the Impact of Emergencies”.

The theme resonates well with the global challenge of the COVID-19 pandemic in which the country is witnessing the upsurge in cases.