Department of Immigration and Citizenship Services has asked the Office of the President and Cabinet (OPC) to intervene to enable it reclaim official vehicles from former director general Charles Kalumo.
The department has written Chief Secretary to the Government Justin Saidi for help to reclaim a Toyota Prado registration MG 883 AJ or BP 8949 and Ford Ranger double cabin pickup registration BY 7264, which were allocated to Kalumo during his tenure.
In a letter dated October 21 2025 copied to Secretary for Homeland Security and signed by Immigration Department acting director general Macloud Kalizang’oma, the department said despite sending reminders, including one sent on September 29 2025, Kalumo has not surrendered the vehicles.
Reads the letter in part: “Sir, the department has mobility challenges due to an acute shortage of motor vehicles and it is our hope that if the two vehicles are handed over back to us, they will assist to ease the challenges we are facing now in executing operational activities, while waiting for government procurement of extra vehicles for the department.”
Immigration national spokesperson Pasqually Zulu in an interview yesterday said it is a norm in most government institutions that when employees leave their offices they should surrender government equipment they were using.
“It is true that he hasn’t returned the said vehicles which he was supposed to return after leaving the office,” he said.
Kalumo declined to comment on the matter yesterday, saying the matter was still in court.
In June 2024, the High Court of Malawi nullified Kalumo’s appointment after finding that the former Malawi Defence Force (MDF) officer was unlawfully recruited by former president Lazarus Chakwera.
The court’s verdict followed a judicial review application filed by an Immigration officer Chikhulupiliro Zidana, who queried the procedure of the appointment.
However, immediate-past Attorney General Thabo Chakaka Nyirenda filed an appeal at the Malawi Supreme Court, challenging the High Court’s decision.
Chakwera appointed Kalumo in August 2022 in line with the powers of the President under Section 89 of the Constitution and Section Six of the Public Service Act.
