Passports are a necessity if one is to travel abroad as they verify one’s identify and nationality, this is a book everyone eligible is supposed to get but lately getting a passport has become a big problem for people.
This is because it is taking long for one to get a passport using legitimate means and our investigation has reveled that many have resorted to bribing immigration officers to get their passports done within a short period of time.
Through our investigation, we met a Lilongwe based man who spoke to us on condition of anonymity. The man said he paid K180,000 for his express passport which after two weeks was still not yet out and later bribed an immigration officer to get the passport done quickly.
“I needed a passport so urgently because I was traveling to German for studies but getting to immigration Lilongwe offices the process was not what I expected. However I still applied and two weeks later my passport was still not out.
“I went to check progress in the third week and I met an agent ‘dobadoba’ who asked me about the problem and after I explained to him, he promised to help. He took me to one office within the immigration office where we met an immigration officer and he said I should pay K220, 000 to fast-track my passport printing. I paid,” narrated the man.
He said, he spent K400,000 to get his passport, with K180,000 to immigration for an express passport and K220,000 as a bribe.
We visited Lilongwe immigration to confirm if indeed this is happening. And on an undercover mission, we arrived at the office around 8am on a Wednesday morning.
The visit to the office found dozens of people waiting to apply or renew a passport. Others went to inquire about their passports they applied long time ago.
Sitting next to a man who looked like was also after immigration services, he approached us and asked if we were there to check progress on our passports.
“Yes, we have come to check progress on a passport we applied six months ago,” we replied.
The man who we then realized is not a customer but an agent (dobadoba), responded in a way that looked like he is sympathizing with us.
“Ah that’s quite too long, mmadziwana ndi munthu mkatimu?,” He asked, with a concerned face.
When we told him we do not know anyone and we haven’t spoken to anyone, he promised to help us but with an amount attached.
Not knowing he was being recorded, the agent narrated how he would help us testifying that he has helped many through the same way before.
The agent then initiated a discussion with an immigration officer only known as Martha, who promised to process our passport by 16:00 same day if a bribe is given.
“If she wants to have it processed before close of business today, then ndalama yake siyikhalanso K80,000 ngati momwe nnakuuzilani, ikhala K120,000, sinanga nanenso ndimakasiya kenakake kwa bwana,” Martha said.
She then told the agent to get my receipt and National Identification Card (ID) ready quickly while we went to get the bribe at an ATM.
When we didn’t get back to the immigration, the Agent kept calling asking that we go back with the money to have the process hurried up.
We did not return to the office and we halted the process.
But while still at the immigration, we spoke to some people who went to inquire about progress of their passports.
One woman said, “I applied for a passport in November 2022 but I’m yet to get it. Each time I come to inquire, they say they do not have booklets and my passport is not ready. I left the process to take place because I don’t want to bribe anyone. Now it’s almost a year and I haven’t gotten my passport.”
An insider at immigration is on record to have said that the passport situation at immigration is still not stable.
“A normal passport cost K90,000 while Express is at K180,000. So what is happening now is that people are being told to pay for the K90,000 ones and that when the booklets are available they will be given their passports.
“So if you desperately need a passport, you pay K180,000 for express but still there are more challenges as this one doesn’t come out fast too. It take weeks to come out. Ndi zapendapenda basi,” said the source.
The shortage of passport books became more pronounced in 2021 after the Malawi Government terminated its contract with service provider Techno Brain allegedly because it was costly.
Early this year, Department of Immigration and Citizenship Services director general Charles Kalumo said the department was still facing challenges due to booklets problem.
At the time, Kalumo said those who have emergencies such as medical, evacuation government trips and students flying out for studies were being prioritized.
“Consumers Association of Malawi- CAMA Executive Director, John Kapito, said corruption has always been there at immigration and it has just worsened due to the shortage of passport books.
“When you create scarcity in any environment, you are simply creating room for corruption. The fact that government cannot provide the services properly only leaves room for corrupt individuals to cash out from people. Government was suppose to bring another option after terminating contract with techno brain.
“This is embarrassing, everyday consumers are lined up at immigration offices. They pay double, the other amount for corruption while the other amount for the product. Sadly, there is no way out because this is a monopolized service that is only provided by government. Yes it is full of corruption but there is little we can do,” Kapito said.
When contacted, immigration Director General Charles Kalumo did not pick our calls and immigration spokesperson Wellington Chiponde said we should send him a questionnaire which he promised to respond by Friday 7:30am.
Chiponde did not respond to the questionnaire as promised and did not pick our calls when we tried to remind him.
Minister of Homeland Security Ken Zikhale Ng’oma in an interview with our reporter in Zomba disclosed that he will visit the immigration department and said he will respond to the struggles, bribery issues right there at the immigration.
When asked if he has any plan at all to make service delivery at immigration efficient and ensure bribery ceases to be the culture if one has to get the document.
Ng’oma responded; “I will visit the immigration and please ask me the questions there,”
