Cluster sends back Immigration officials

The International Relations, Defence and Security Cluster Committee of Parliament yesterday sent back Department of Immigration and Citizenship Services officials because director general Charles Kalumo was absent.

Immigration Department was scheduled to appraise the budget cluster committee on the status of passport production after the system was hacked into a month ago, but immediately after introductions, committee chairperson Patrick Siyabonga Bandawe said the meeting could not continue without Kalumo.

He said: “We are not necessarily undermining your positions, but considering the importance of the issue at hand we cannot proceed with this meeting. Until we make a fresh invitation and the director general is available to have an interface with this cluster, you can take leave.”

In an interview later, Bandawe said Kalumo did not formally communicate that he would be absent.

“The matter at hand is critical. A lot of young people are waiting for their passports to travel to Israel and work,” he said.

The Immigration delegation was led by director of finance Felix Phiri.

“We have noted the concerns and will take the message to the director general,” he said.

Parliamentarians are grouped in clusters scrutinising allocations in the proposed 2024/25 National Budget that Minister of Finance and Economic Affairs Simplex Chithyola Banda tabled last Friday. During the exercise, the committees summon various government ministries, departments and agencies to appreciate their operations and requirements.

The cluster committee meetings will end on March 8 2024.