In a surprise move, the Concerned Citizens – People Power Movement (CC-PPM) has cancelled its planned demonstration and vigil against the Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority’s (MACRA) procurement of a controversial surveillance machine.
The machine, valued at $1.5 million (approximately 4.5 billion Malawi Kwacha), had raised public fears due to concerns over its potential use for misinformation tracking.
The cancellation comes after MACRA and CC-PPM held a meeting on February 6, where MACRA explained the machine’s relevance and its potential role in ICT fields and revenue assurance.
CC-PPM had initially planned to protest at MACRA’s offices on February 13, seeking to halt the procurement process until outstanding issues were addressed.
CC-PPM Chairperson Edward Kambanje announced the cancellation during a press briefing at Malawi Sun hotel, stating that MACRA has not yet acquired the surveillance equipment.
“We are closely monitoring the procurement of the machines by MACRA to prevent any potential rigging, and we urge all Malawians to take an interest in this process to guarantee the integrity and transparency considering that the huge amount to be used could have saved in different sector,” said Kambanje.
Kambanje emphasized that if CC-PPM finds anything suspicious during the due diligence on the machine, they will not allow the implementation of the system to proceed.
He, however, commended MACRA for involving watchdog organizations, such as the parliamentary media committee, ICT Association of Malawi, and civil society organizations, in the procurement process.
“They have demonstrated transparency and they deserve room for trust,” Kambanje said.
CC-PPM had previously argued that the funds allocated for the surveillance machine could be better utilized in addressing pressing national issues, such as foreign currency shortages, rising fuel costs, and inadequate essential medicines in hospitals.
