The High Court sitting in Lilongwe has stopped Director General of Immigration and Citizenship Services Brigadier General Charles Dickens Kalumo from redeploying staff.
According to the court order, five members of staff from the department applied for judicial review.
The court has since given the staff respite.
“The respondents are, through their agents or by whomsoever and in whatsoever manner, restrained from enforcing the decision of redeploying the applicants or any other immigration officer to various government departments, ministries or agencies as intended in the letter dated June 29 2023 in whatsoever or howsoever manner pending the hearing and final determination of the judicial review proceedings or until any other order of the court,” it reads.
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On July 3 2023, Commissioner of Immigration and Citizenship Services Stanlake Kalimanjira, on behalf of concerned officers, asked the court to suspend the redeployment exercise and institute an independent enquiry into how the director general is handling issues.
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In the letter, which was sent to Secretary for Homeland Security, Kalimanjira outlined 15 administrative misconduct allegations against the director general, including alleged loss of strategic direction in the core services of the department.
He further alleged that the department is struggling to find a sustainable solution regarding passport services.
“There is no future in sight. Instead of calling for a management meeting to discuss with his team on possible alternatives, he has remained quiet,” he said.
