Deputy Minister of Homeland Security Norman Chisale has called on Malawians to report directly to his office evidence of corruption at the Department of Immigration and Citizenship Services in exchange for expedited passport processing. He said this yesterday when he visited the department’s Central Region office in Lilongwe where he addressed passport applicants. “Everyone with evidence that they paid extra money for passport applications should come to my office at 8am tomorrow at Capital Hill.
If you do, your passport will be ready within minutes,” Chisale told the passport applicants. He also claimed that 20 Immigration officers had already confessed to engaging in corrupt practices and one is in police custody. Immigration national spokesperson Pasqually Zulu confirmed Chisale’s visit, saying the department would thoroughly investigate all allegations and take legal action against any officers found culpable.
He said: “While we acknowledge that the department may have a few bad apples, we remain fully committed to eradicating such practices. This commitment is being reinforced through the implementation of the Anti-Corruption Policy, which serves as a guiding framework in combating the vice.” While Chisale’s call has been praised as a proactive step toward accountability, some observers have cautioned that real change requires safe reporting channels. National Anti-Corruption Alliance chairperson Michael Kaiyatsa said: “Calls for evidence are commendable, but citizens need credible, protected channels to report corruption without fear of reprisal.” On his part, Centre for Social Accountability and Transparency executive director Willy Kambwandira questioned why citizens were being directed to a minister’s office instead of established anti-corruption agencies.
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In March 2025, the Ministry of Homeland Security threatened to fire corrupt officers demanding money from passport applicants. The warning followed publication of an investigative story by our sister newspaper Nation on Sunday that exposed how some immigration officers were siphoning money from Malawians in desperate need of the travelling document by charging a “collection fee” of as high as K200 000.
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