Fight for passports
Fed up with the prolonged wait for their passports clocking over a year and counting, some applicants yesterday stormed the Department of Immigration and Citizenship Services headquarters in Blantyre to push for the travel document.
The raid turned ugly when an attempt by one of the Immigration officers to explain the cause of the passport delay ended up irking some of the protesters who manhandled him.
In separate interviews, Innocent Chileka from Nsanje and Tawina James from Mangochi said some officials at the passport office promised them that their passports would be processed by September end as the department expected to receive about 100 000 passport booklets.
But when they visited the department, they found no passports, a situation that fanned their anger.
The applicants faulted Attorney General (AG) Thabo Chakaka Nyirenda for terminating a contract between Malawi Government and TechnoBrain, the supplier of passport booklets and consumables.
Said a visibly angry Chileka: “Why do these people [Immigration officials] like giving us false hopes? You come today they tell you to come next month. You come next month, they tell you to come another month.
“This simply shows lack of empathy. I come from Nsanje and I spend about K20 000 for each trip and I don’t understand the reasons behind TechnoBrain contract termination.”
In 2021, the AG’s office terminated the contract with TechnoBrain, citing anomalies and high cost with a promise to bring on board a new player. However, to date there is no new supplier in sight.
Consumers Association of Malawi (Cama) executive director John Kapito yesterday faulted the termination of the TechnoBrain contract, saying the decision has affected service delivery, as far as issuing of passports is concerned.
He said the contract was terminated without due regard to the implications on Malawians.
Said Kapito: “It seems in Tonse Alliance administration there is a lack of understanding and knowledge about what it is they are terminating and how to manage it.”
In March this year, Department of Immigration and Citizenship Services director general Charles Kalumo said the passport booklet shortage was temporary.
At the time, he said the department was expecting to take delivery of 240 000 passport booklets by April 4.
But insiders at the department said only about 5 000 passport booklets were delivered between April and September this year.
Yesterday, Immigration Department national spokesperson Wellington Chiponde refused to comment on the passport shortage while Kalumo was reported to be “engaged with important issues”, according to his personal assistant.
On the other hand, Chakaka Nyirenda did not pick his phone.
The Democratic Progressive Party administration signed the passports contract with TechnoBrain in 2019.
Minutes of three e-passport high-level negotiation meetings between TechnoBrain Global and Malawi Government, held on June 10, July 21 and October 12 2022 at Ministry of Finance conference room in Lilongwe show that the company demanded $28.5 million (about K33.6 billion) as settlement and contract termination fees.
Out of the amount, $22.5 million (about K26.5 billion) is the settlement amount and $6 million (about K7 billion) is contract termination fees.
At the time of terminating the $60 million (about K61.8 billion) passport deal, the AG said the decision was based on a contractual clause of convenience and public interest which provided for discontinuance of the contract at no cost.
But in January 2022, TechnoBrain issued a statement asking for continuation or resumption of the terminated contract, arguing that the proposal was a win-win situation for Malawi as the firm had laid an important foundation for the passport system in Malawi, including training of staff.
The deal also involved the introduction of an electronic passport under the build, operate and transfer model by providing 800 000 electronic passports under procurement reference number IM/01/272/07.
