The hackers took over the country's passport printing system.

The Malawi government has restored the passport system, weeks after a cyber-attack.

President Lazarus Chakwera has since called for a probe into the attack, saying: “I want law enforcement agencies to immediately establish an investigation into the attack of the e-passport issuance system at the department of immigration and citizenship services. Those found guilty of the offence should face the long arm of the law.”

According to the president, the system was hacked by unknown ‘mercenaries' who wanted a ransom, constituting a ‘major violation in Malawi's national security'.

The hackers took over the country's passport printing system.

The department of immigration and citizenship services director general, Charles Kalumo, announced the restoration in a statement this week.

The development means that the department's e-passport Issuance service has resumed, and passport printing will begin gradually in Lilongwe this week, followed by the rest of the regions.

“The department of immigration and citizenship services would like to thanks all concerned Malawians for their patience during the time the e-passport issuance system was being fixed by a team of local experts from various entities who worked around the clock to complete the task within the time frame set by the president,” read the statement.