Who ate the cheese? Madras Security Printers, hailed as saviors of the passport crisis created by President Lazarus Chakwera’s administration, appear to have delivered nothing despite being paid US$5 million (K8.75 billion) to roll out passports.
Ever since President Chakwera falsely told Malawians that the passport system had been “hacked” when in fact it was deliberately tampered with to create contracts for his Malawi Congress Party (MCP) allies — Malawi faces the risk of being banned by the USA due to poor-quality passports. Thousands of citizens are still waiting for travel documents, while some have been detained abroad for presenting substandard booklets.
Despite its questionable reputation with previous scandals involving Kenyan visa security stickers, the Chakwera administration, known for its association with questionable characters, awarded a multi-billion-kwacha passport contract to Madras Security Printers.
Our inquiry to the company was met with threats of possible lawsuits.
Meanwhile, despite Homeland Security Minister Ezeckiel Ching’oma’s promises, passports are still not being issued, and Malawians continue to wait. Ironically, the same company was awarded another contract worth US$35 million to supply 9 million blank national identity cards, using a single-source method rather than an open tender.
The Investigator Magazine has learned that Secretary to the President and Cabinet, Colleen Zamba, along with other State House officials, allegedly have vested interests in these contracts, which explains why Madras Security was invited under a restricted tender process.
“All contracts given to this company are questionable. They haven’t delivered passports months after being paid in advance, and yet they were about to be given, behind everyone’s back, another US$35 million identity card deal,” a highly placed source revealed.
Another source indicated that the Ministry of Homeland Security wrote to the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) on 18th July 2025, seeking clearance to proceed with the contract for 9 million blank identity cards. However, the ACB refused.
“In accordance with section 45 (2) (3) of the Public Procurement and Disposal of Assets Act of 2015, read with section 10(a)(i) and (ii) of the Corrupt Practices Act, the Anti-Corruption Bureau withholds clearance for the National Registration Bureau to proceed with awarding the above contract as requested,”
reads an ACB letter to the Ministry, a copy of which was shown to The Investigator Magazine.
The ACB’s Director of Investigations, Christopher Kaminjolo, advised the Ministry that if the project were advertised on an open tender, secure and reputable suppliers could be found:
“At very competitive costs ranging from USD 1.00 to USD 3.99 per card,” the letter adds.
Madras, however, is charging US$8.00 per card.
The inflated costs raise questions about whether the passport contract itself is similarly overpriced to accommodate kickbacks. We will analyze the passport deal in our subsequent editions.
Editor’s Comment:
Cancel Madras Security contracts, that should be the first priority for the next government after September 16. Public procurement needs to be restored to decency. Corruption-infested deals require thorough scrutiny. In fact, if the MCP loses the elections, all contracts should be suspended and reviewed. Malawians are paying too much because President Chakwera’s administration has formalised corruption.
