LILONGWE-(MaraviPost)-Tongues are wagging and unconfirmed reports are soaring pointing at Home Affairs Minister Zikhale Ng’oma as, allegedly, being a force behind snail’s pace at which the Immigration Department is printing passports in the country.
This publication has, on strict condition of anonymity, spoken with several sources from the Immigration Department, Home Affairs Ministry, Office of the President and Cabinet (OPC) and the Attorney General (AG) and there appears a general consensus at nasty politics at play with regards to the supplying of new passport systems at the Immigration Department.
As Zikhale had pointed in that public appeal to Malawians outside the Immigration Department headquarters weeks ago, government had to quickly come up with a short terms solution to resume the printing of passport as they for the final after the marriage breakdown with Techno Brain.
However, according to our investigations, what is emerging is that the Immigration Department, through its technical department, had already identified a company that would succeed Techno Brain.
The Maravi Post has information alleges that Zikhale, also, had identified a company connected to him to offer the services.
“This is where challenges emerged. Because, as part of getting a quick solution, there was a direction that the procurement process of identifying the supplier should be done by OPC to avoid sabotage and unnecessary delays,” said the source.
This publication understands that the procurement process of E-Tech Systems was done by OPC and co-chaired by AG Thabo Chakaka Nyirenda and Immigration Department Director Charles Kalumo.
“New printers can print 2000 passports but they only print what immigration processes. There is a slow process aimed at sabotaging the whole system because Zikhale wants his printers there. That’s where we are stuck and they will continue dragging the processing of passports just delay the entire and brand E-Tech Systems as a company without capacity. It’s a big challenge,” added the source.
This publication tried to reach out to Minister Zikhale to hear his side of the story .
But his phones still went unanswered as we go to press.
Meanwhile, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) has asked government to furnish the public with information with regards to the procurement process that identified E-Tech Systems.
Through its spokesperson Shadred Namalomba, the party alleges that E-Tech Systems is connected to some MCP members.
However, Minister of Information Moses Kunkuyu says the government has no problem in sharing the information with Malawians.
He adds that the responsible ministry and departments are ready for the same.
Kunkuyu has since quashed suggestions that the company is linked to MCP members; arguing the company is capable of supplying the passports as it has already started issuing them.
Also in a recent interview, E-Tech Systems chief executive officer Raphael Msowoya spoke on his company got the contract underlining that it doesn’t have any relationship with President Lazarus Chakwera, his sone Pastor Nick Chakwera or the Malawi Congress Party (MCP).
Msowoya said his company was awarded the contract on merit after demonstrating capacity to provide a solution at a time when some unscrupulous people and hackers were demanding a ransom running into billions of Kwacha from government.
The allegation about the connection with the Chakweras and MCP came about after a photo was shared on social media showing Msowoya together with MCP candidate for the vice presidency Vitumbiko Mumba, Nick Chakwera and a Serbian government officially in Serbia.
However, Msowoya has underlined that the meeting with them in Serbia was a mere coincidence, saying they went there on a private trip which was unrelated to his trip.
“First of all the sole mandate of issuing and printing passports rests with the Department of Immigration and Citizenship Services (DoICS). E-Tech Systems’ current agreement with DoICS does not mandate us to print passports or run the passport printery on behalf of DoICS.
“Our role is to provide a passport issuance system solution which is integrated to a wide number of support services and key components including the printing module,” he said.