PASSPORTS MESS CONTINUES TO HAUNT ZIKHALE: Concerned citizens demanding his head; to hold Vigils at Capital Hill
A group calling itself concerned citizens of Malawi is expected to hold vigils at Capital Hill in Lilongwe and immigration headquarters offices in Lilongwe from May 8 this year as one way of forcing Minister of Homeland Security Kenneth Zikhale Ng’oma and Immigration Chief Charles kalumo to resign over passportS mess.
This follows the expiry a 15 days ultimatum the group gave Malawi President Lazarus Chakwera through Blantyre District Commissioners Office on April 3 demanding the president to fire Zikhale and Kalumo for filing to discharge their duties.
The concerned Citizens of Malawi led by fearless human rights activist Edward Kambanje disclosed the plans to hold vigils during a press briefing held on Tuesday in Blantyre. He said the two have failed and other people should head the ministry and the department.
Here is the full press statement from the Concerned Citizens
Date Issued 23rd April 2024
ASKING FOR THE RESIGNATION OF HOMELAND SECURITY MINISTER AND THE CHIEF IMMIGRATION OFFICER OVER PASSPORT ISSUES.
We the concerned citizens of Malawi (people power movement) on behalf of Malawians presented our petition to the state president of the republic of Malawi His Excellency Dr. Lazarus Chakwera on April 3rd 2024 at District commissioners office in the city of Blantyre.
Malawi faced passport issuance challenges since 2021 when the Government of Malawi terminated its contract with Techno brain which had been the supplier of Malawi’s passports since 2019, In 2023 the Government unable to find a replacement instead they’re engaged the company on temporary basis, still the Immigration Department and Citizenship services had to scale down production many times until recently when the state president told the nation in his Address that the system has been hacked and that the hackers are demanding ransom.
We are not told who are these hackers if indeed exist, what gadgets were they using like computers or phones to communicate that may be traced.
We also read in local publication that the Government has offered a contract to a new supplier without following proper procedures in identifying a new supplier , we strongly condemn this Mal practice.
The passport issuance hiccups has left hundreds of passport applicants stranded especially those doing cross border business as they are no longer traveling, some patients seeking medical treatment abroad are denied right to medical care, students and those secured employment outside the country including much touted Israel farm jobs are failing to meet their deadline.
In our petition we demanded the following
1) Immediate resignation of the Minister of Homeland security Ken zikhale Ng’oma who has failed to come up with honest statements to Malawians and for failing to address the issues that affect his ministry at the Department of Immigration.
He lied to the nation that the system will be restored and that the Government has brought a new machine that will print more than 3,000 passports per day.
He lied to the nation that the system was at 60% recovered. But until now the problem is not sorted out he recently visited the regional headquarters and confirmed that the system is very slow.
2) The immediate resignation of the chief Immigration officer Brigadier Charles kalumo for failing his duties to control and protect the system as head, which may lead other countries not to trust or recognize our travelling documents and also putting Malawians who want to travel outside the country in jeopardy.
3) The state president should explain to the nation as to when the system will be fully functional and he should reveal the identities of the so called hackers if indeed exist and be brought to book.
4) Apart from reducing the prices of the passports to 50,000 we ask the president to reduce some of the basic commodities like maize, fertilizer and sugar and make sure is available at all times .
We therefore announce today that we will hold vigils at capital hill and immigration headquarters offices from 8th May 2024.
We have planned Peaceful Demonstrations in cities of Zomba, Mangochi and Lilongwe in month of May 2024 if the Ministry and immigration chief will not step down.
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Edward kambanje chairperson
Osman Dagia operations
Queen Kapalamula spokesperson
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