By Chisomo Phiri
Minister of Homeland Security Ken Zikhale Ng’oma has on Friday announced that the government has suspended expiry dates for National Identity Cards (IDs) and processing fees which Malawians were paying to replace their IDs until January 2026.
He made the announcement in the National Assembly where he was presenting a ministerial report on National IDs following concerns from various Parliamentarians.
Ng’oma admitted that National IDs’ renewal has proven to be a burden to the citizens in the country, hence the decision to suspend the expiry dates.
The minister said President Lazarus Chakwera has made two directions to National Registration Bureau; first to waive K2, 500 fee for lost or damaged IDs until 5th January 2026 and that Police should not incur fees on lost IDs report issuance.
He added that the move is also meant to allow every eligible voter to register and vote freely in the 2025 general elections.
This comes as Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) is expected to start voter registration next year for the 2025 Presidential Elections where the national ID is the only ID that a person can use to register for elections.
In recent weeks, there have been concerns from various stakeholders that millions of Malawians whose IDs expired or got lost would not be able to register for the elections considering the costs attached to renew or replace IDs.
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