In an interview with MBC Deputy spokesperson for the Immigration Department Wellington Chiponde said over 5 thousand passports remained uncollected at the Department years after issuance.

 

"The Department of Immigration has uncollected stock of passports issued between 2011 and 2015 totalling to over 5 thousand copies. We are urging those who applied for a passport during the aforementioned period to avail themselves and collect their passports," said Chiponde. 

 

Chiponde said some might have given up after having been told several times that their passports were not ready and this was because the Department had at one point in time ran out of stationery.

 

He assured the applicants that the passports are now ready and due for collection valid for their travel arrangements.

 

To ease challenges the applicants face in making enquiries for their passports, Chiponde said the Department of Immigration has in collaboration with Airtel devised an SMS system through which an applicant can be notified whether or not a passport has been issued.

 

''All the applicant needs is to send via SMS a 13 digit reference number to 343 using the Airtel line which is cost effective as the enquirer will only part with MK30.00 per SMS rather than travelling to our offices just to make the enquiry," explained Chiponde.