MEC warns Chitipa chiefs about illegal immigrants
The Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) has appealed to chiefs in Chitipa to watch out for and report any foreign national who enters the country illegally from Zambia and Tanzania.
The warning comes ahead of the forthcoming Phase Seven of voter registration in the district.
Speaking during the meeting with chiefs in Traditional Authority (T/A)Mwaulambya on Monday, MEC commissioner Linda Kunje said since the district shares boundaries with Zambia and Tanzania, some people from these countries may want to register as voters, thereby affecting Malawi’s electoral process and its credibility.
“Registering illegal immigrants as voters has several implications,including compromising elections, draining public resources such as drugs in public hospitals and scrambling for land with the natives. We want you chiefs to be vigilant and do not hesitate to report them,” she said.
In his remarks, T/A Mwaulambya said chiefs will put in place strategies to avoid such situations.
“We will ensure that every registration centre has a group village head or his or her representative to identify eligible voters,” Mwaulambya assured.
On Monday, Chitipa Magistrate’s Court sentenced 11 Ethiopians to three months imprisonment for entering Malawi illegally through Chitipa.
Voter registration for Phase Seven will start on October 8 and finish on October 21 2019. n
