Passport application forms on black market in Nsanje
Some unscrupulous traders in Nsanje district have started selling on the black market Immigration passport application forms for almost K700 a copy.
In January this year, failure by the Immigration Department to print passport application forms due to a technical hitch also forced some unscrupulous traders to start selling the free forms on the black market at K500 a copy in Blantyre.
One of the people in Nsanje district, Kaswada Tembo, who tried to source the forms at the cost of K700 said for quite some time people have been paying K700 to access the forms.
“It is news to me that Immigration forms are supposed to be free of charge. I got it from my friend in Blantyre that it’s free.
“When I enquired from my friend about the forms, I thought in Blantyre it would be cheaper not that they were given free,” said Tembo adding that a lot of people are selling the immigration forms in the district.
Tembo said a lot of his friends in the district have always been accessing the immigration forms at K700 saying it is not a secret as people know where to get those forms.
Frank Chikwanje from the same district said he also accessed the forms at the price of K700 and wondered where the unscrupulous traders always get the forms for sale.
When contacted, the Immigration Department’s spokesperson, Martin Gongolo, was coy to comment on the matter and instead he referred this reporter to contact his colleague as he was attending to official duties in Lilongwe.
“I’m currently in Lilongwe and could you contact Martha Gonondo who is in Blantyre,” said Gongolo.
But efforts to speak to Gonondo proved futile as her phone went unanswered on several occasions.
