Concerned citizens from Machinjiri Township in Blantyre have expressed sadness over how Phase 8 of the National ID Registration exercise by the National Registration Bureau (NRB) is being carried out in the three centres namely; South Lunzu primary, Nanjiliri primary school and Nkolokoti primary school.
According to the citizens found in one of the centres in Machinjiri, NRB officials who have been assigned to carryout the registration exercise are only issuing 100 forms to prospective ID holders per day.
The development has left many people from Machinjiri with little hope of obtaining the National ID which will in turn allow them to register and vote in the forthcoming 2025 polls.
As this is not enough, some prospective ID holders are facing huddles to obtain the form as other officials are demanding money from people.
Concerned citizen identified as Fred found at South Lunzu Primary School Centre told this publication that he paid Mk500 to one of the middle-men to obtain the form.
“Kunena zoona zinthu pano pa centre ya South Lunzu Primary school sizikuyenda bwino. Munthu kuti upeze form yolembetsela zikumatenga nthawi kwambiri monga ine ndabwela katatu konse ndipo lero ndachita kulipila MK500 kwa dobadoba kuti ndipeze form imeneyi. Komanso anthu akapita kojambulisa akumatengako nthawi yambiri,” said Fred.
The citizens have also complained that the centres are very few in the area.
The frustrated citizen went further blame the Tonse Alliance of deliberately compromising the exercise in the south with an aim of making many people who are supporters of opposition political parties not to vote in the 2025 polls.
Effort to talk to Principal Secretary for NRB Mark Sambo proved futile as his phone went unanswered.
Concerned citizens in Machinjiri have since threatened to do unspecified action if their concerned are not addressed.
The eighth phase of the exercise commenced on 9th May 2024 and will run for 15 days up to 23rd May 2024, in Blantyre Urban and Lilongwe Urban.
