Pressure continues to mount on President Lazarus Chakwera to fire Homeland Security Minister, Ken Zikhale Ng’oma and also to hire the new Immigration Department chief.
A grouping of concerned Malawians under the “#ZATIKWANA campaign ” has made the demand, citing incompetence on the part of Ng’oma.
The campaign is a bold initiative of the Youth and Society (YAS) under the Anti-Corruption and Rule of Law, designed to rally the youth in Malawi in a unified effort to combat corruption and impunity, thereby enhancing good governance and citizen welfare.
Speaking in Lilongwe on Tuesday during a media briefing, the campaign’s Executive Committee National Vice Chairperson, Memory Sebastian said Ng’oma has miserably failed to execute his duties since he was appointed to the ministerial position, citing several glitches at the Department of Immigration and Citizenship Services.
She said the inefficiencies at the Department of Immigration and Citizenship Services have cost Malawians a lot.
“For a long time, the Department of Immigration has failed the mental duties of providing timely and efficient passport services. Hundreds of Malawians are forced to endure spending nights at the Immigration Department offices, desperately waiting for the issuance of their passports. This unfortunate situation is uncalled for and must be addressed swiftly.
“The inefficiencies at the Department have not only caused unnecessary hardships but also impeded the ability of citizens to travel abroad for work, academic studies, medical attention and other purposes,” said Sebastian.
She has further demanded that President Chakwera should expedite the hiring of a competent and accountable Director General to provide an effective leadership role at the Immigration Department.
“We demand immediate and comprehensive reforms at the Immigration Department to address systematic issues causing delays and inefficiencies. This includes combating corruption, increasing staff, improving processes and implementing technology to streamline operations.
We call for greater accountability and transparency within the Ministry of Homeland Security, regular reports on the progress of reforms and the status of passport issuance must be made available for public consumption,” she demanded.
There was no immediate response from Zikhale Ng’oma as we went to press.
