The Parliamentary Committee on Transport and Public Infrastructure has expressed fears over continued control of the Malawi Traffic Information System (Maltis) by a South African consultant, Fisher.

The development follows a recent engagement between the Committee and Vehicle Inspection Stations (VIS) Association who bemoaned that its members are facing challenges providing services due to Maltis problems.

The Committee’s Chairperson Uchizi Mkandawire said continued control of the system by the South African consultant is a serious security threat.

Said Mkandawire: “By now, the system should have been handled over to government but as the way things are we don’t even know when the system will be handled over to government.

“We have a system that we are operating and basically it doesn’t belong to the Malawi Government and the consultant may decide to shut down the system anytime they want because they have got all the rights and control of servers of the system.”

Mkandawire said the Committee will engage the office of the Attorney General (AG) on the matter.

“As a committee we are indeed worried unless something happens, government engages the consultant, so the way forward is engaging and involving the AG’s office,” Mkandawire said.

Whilst acknowledging the fears, Director for the Directorate of Road Traffic and Safety Services (DRTSS) Andrew Sandula said the Directorate is currently engaging the consultant to have control of the system locally.

“Malawi is making a number of efforts to have the system handled over to the country, and we have had several engagements with the consultant,” explained Sandula.

According to DRTSS, the consultant is remotely controlling the system from the rainbow nation but servers are still in Malawi.