Ministry to act on Immigration saga
Ministry of Homeland Security says it will review complaints from some staff at the Department of Immigration and Citizenship Services on the alleged conduct of director general Brigadier General Charles Kalumo (retired).
The ministry’s reaction follows a complaint from Commissioner of Immigration Stanlake Kalimanjira who wrote the Office of the President and Cabinet (OPC) levelling 15 administrative misconduct allegations against Kalumo.
In the letter under reference number IM/02/01 and dated July 7 2023, Kalimanjira said he authored it “on behalf of the concerned officers”.
Speaking in an interview yesterday, Secretary for Homeland Security Oliver Kumbambe said he has been out of the office for some time, but will act on the letter once he gets into office.
He said: “I have not been in office for some time because we had the July 6 holiday, then on the 7th we had to see off Tanzania President Samia Suluhu Hassan.
“So, once I get into office this week, I will look at the letter and, based on the concerns, I will map the way forward.”
On the other hand, Kalumo was elusive when contacted yesterday. He demanded to have a face-to-face meeting with this reporter, saying he reports to government, not the media.
“How can I know that you really work for a newspaper? I have to physically see you and some identity. Remember my employers are the government, that’s where I report,” he said.
When told that the reporter stays in Mzuzu and that it was strange to ask for the said physical meeting, Kalumo insisted: “I report to the government.”
In the letter, the said officers are seeking the suspension of the redeployment of 16 officers which Kalumo announced on June 30 this year pending an enquiry into his conduct.
The letter further alleges that, among others, Kalumo has unprocedurally been granting foreign nationals citizenship, suspending workers without following the due process, using obscene language against officers and failing to find a sustainable solution to passport issuance services.
Addressed to the Secretary to the President and Cabinet (SPC), the letter names seven officers who were allegedly irregularly suspended or dismissed.
Reads the letter in part: “Officers are sent home without being given a chance to explain and defend themselves; they are sent home by word of mouth of the director general. The word of the director general is law.
“The director general facilitated the interdiction of assistant commissioner Saddock Malinda without following procedure, sergeant Geoffrey Malikula was dismissed and ordered to surrender the uniform without being given a chance to defend himself.
“Senior superintendent Oswald Mhango is home for doing his work professionally which irritated the director general. Senior superintendent Blackwell Lungu was suspended [but later recalled] by word of mouth.”
Kalumo is also accused of being insensitive to funeral traditions as he allegedly refuses to permit workers to attend the burial of their workmates.
“Here is a director general who demands his officers to apply for leave when travelling to attend a funeral of a departed uniformed officer. Our memories are very fresh. A couple of weeks ago, the department lost sergeant Lawrence Austin Kwapata.
“When officers from the Central Region sought approval from the director general to travel to Mulanje to attend the funeral of the departed officer, he responded as follows ‘apply for leave and I have to approve…. Otherwise, ameneyo wafa basi alibe ntchito’.”
The commissioner has since asked the OPC to suspend the redeployment of the officers until an enquiry is held, warning that he will take legal action if their request is ignored.
