By Deogratias Mmana
Despite the High Court stopping redeploying of staff by its Director General, the Department of Immigration and Citizenship Services has stopped nine employees from performing their duties in the passport section while waiting for the next course of action.
According to the officers, they were verbally told to stop working and wait for fresh instructions as to where they should report for duties.
The move contradicts a High Court order given to the department in July this year which stopped Director General retired Brigadier Charles Kalumo from redeploying five members of staff who sought a judicial review over the decision.
On July 3, 2023, the department’s Commissioner Stanlake Kalimanjira, on behalf of the five, asked the court to suspend the redeployment exercise and institute an independent enquiry into how the Director General was handling the matter.
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“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,” the order reads.
But four weeks ago, nine employees were verbally told to stop working.
The nine include Albert Chikalusa, Esther Munthali, Felix Chisenga, Lockshan Mposa, Sella Bendala, Towera Banda; Kumbirai Bane, Christopher Mangatema and Aleka Kwangulero.
One of the officers confirmed receiving verbal instructions to stop working from their office and wait for new directions.
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“It has been about four weeks now since we received that instruction. We go to work and spend our time in the corridors. There is no communication. This is haunting and torturing us,” the employee said.
Last month, the Director General also suspended another officer, Charles Chisi, because he dragged him to court for alleged assault and battery, false imprisonment and for breaching his privacy.
Chisi is demanding K30 million in damages. In the pile of that mess, the department has now operated for close to two years without commissioners for administration and operations.
In essence, this means that Kalumo is operating without deputies. Former commissioners Fletcher Nyirenda for operations and Pudensiana Makalamba were interdicted about two years ago.
Questions evaded
On November 22, 2023, we sent a questionnaire on these developments to the Immigration Department spokesperson Wellingtone Chiponde.
Among other issues, we asked him to comment on the nine employees who were verbally told to stop working and the DG operating without two commissioners.
Chiponde said the questionnaire touched on strategic issues and asked for more time to consult.
And we reminded him on November 30, 2023 about the questionnaire and he acknowledged receipt of the same and said “Give me a little more time. Will surely revert.”
We called the Principal Secretary for the Ministry of Homeland Security Oliver Kumbambe and raised the issues.
He thanked us for having interest in ensuring that “there is good governance” at the Immigration department and promised to come back to us with a response.
On December 5, 2023 we sent him the questionnaire and he referred us to the spokesperson for the Immigration department.
On December 1, 2023 we sent the same questionnaire to the Minister of Homeland Security Ken Zikhale Ng’oma.
He Public Relations Officer Chrispine Lwanja said on Thursday: “The minister says he is consulting the Director General of the Immigration Department for answers because some of the issues happened before his arrival at the ministry.
