President Lazarus Chakwera of Malawi has made a significant announcement regarding a breach in the country’s national security. The issuance of passports in Malawi has been temporarily halted as the government grapples with a cyberattack. Hackers have assumed control over the country’s passport printing infrastructure and are demanding an indeterminate ransom.
The President made this revelation during a parliamentary session in Lilongwe, addressing concerns raised by Sameer Suleman, a member of Parliament for Blantyre City South East, who proposed a cabinet reshuffle in light of the breach. Although President Chakwera acknowledged the frustration of Malawians unable to obtain their passports, he dismissed Suleman’s suggestion of a government reshuffle, citing a misunderstanding of the situation’s complexity.
As a temporary solution, Chakwera issued a directive to the Department of Immigration to speed up passport printing within the next three weeks. He also instructed them to implement additional security measures to ensure long-term protection against such breaches.
The President delivered a strong warning to the hackers involved and any possible internal collaborators, stating unequivocally that the government will not comply with the ransom demands and will not negotiate with criminals.
Ongoing investigations have been announced to locate and prosecute the culprits involved without leniency.
Since the beginning of the year, Malawians have faced difficulties in obtaining passports, leading to increasing desperation among applicants. Charles Kalumo, the Director General of the Department of Immigration and Citizenship Services, recognized the citizens’ plight but was unable to provide a definite date for when passport issuance would resume.
