Monday, December 23, 2024

Immigration Department Director General Anderson Phiri fired

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Immigration Department director general Anderson Phiri has been relieved of his duties for failing to implement Government’s order to deport Innscor Zambia operations director, Jane Sharamanga.

Home Affairs public relations officer Moses Suwali said in a statement in Lusaka yesterday that Mr Phiri who was expected to retire next year, had been dropped in national interest after failing to execute a deportation order against Ms Sharamanga and Innscor managing director Henry Clarke.

Mr Phiri is said to have ignored the order which was signed by Home Affairs Minister Edgar Lungu to have Ms Sharamanga deported after being accused of insulting her employees.

Mr Suwali said the way in which the deportation was handled left much to be desired because the orders by the minister were not executed.

“Something was fishy in the Immigration Department and hence the axe had to fall on the head as the person in charge,” he said.

Deputy Director General, Moola Milimo would take over on acting capacity but he has been directed to clean up the mess at the department.

He said the ministry had received numerous complaints regarding the corruption tendencies at the department and wanted the trend to end.

“Mr Milimo has been advised not to be complacent but ensure that the poor working culture among the employees in the department is eradicated because efficiency and effectiveness in service delivery is expected,” Mr Suwali said.

He warned other heads of departments in the ministry to take a leaf from Mr Phiri’s fate to avoid falling into the same predicament.

Mr Lungu signed the deportation order for the two managers over two weeks ago but was shocked last week to learn that the duo was still in Zambia.

The deportation was necessitated by revelations in the Sunday Times of Zambia of gross violation of workers’ rights by Ms Sharamanga who had been dismissing HIV positive workers as well as those that fell pregnant.

While the department had managed to deport Mr Clarke, Ms Sharamanga disappeared for days before presenting herself at the Ministry on Monday where she was handed over to the department.

32 COMMENTS

  1. Immigration Department director general Anderson Phiri contract has been relieved of his duties for….. Ba LT, start employing unza graduates. They are loafing in the streets

  2. Now this is what we call fairness – Inscor workers’ plight has been attended to! Bravo Edgar Lungu

  3. It is very uncomfortable to have to correct sentences before making sense of a report, LT! It is like eating food with bugs and you have to continuously pick out the critters before you can put the food into yer mouth!!! Ask for Wiki-help and we shall gladly help you with editing… Now Shamashag must be deported as required, and immigration must put their pants back on.

  4. THIS IS LONG OVERDUE. IMMIGRATION DEPARTMENT IN ZAMBIA ARE THE MOST CORRUPT. IN MOST CASES PASSPORTS ARE GIVEN TO UN DESERVING FOREIGNERS WHILE EVEN WITH PLEADING WITH THESE OFFICERS IT TAKES A LONG TIME OR NOT AT ALL FOR GENUINE ZAMBIANS TO LEGITIMATELY OBTAIN A PASSPORT FROM THIS GRZ DEPARTMENT. THE SAME FIRING SHOULD BE EXTENDED TO WHOEVER HAS DELAYED THE PAYMENTS OF FARMERS. REMEMBER- THERE ARE A LOT OF MMD CHAPS WHO SABOTAGING PROGRESS.

  5. Yes, let us bring sanity to the Immigration department. This should be extended to other ministries as the chaps are just so corrupt. They still think they are in MMD where corruption was the order of the day. Clean up the cobwebs.

    Peace and Prosperity to Mother Zambia. 

  6. Good riddance. This man was holding up alot of ‘sins’. Now the immigration should check all companies’ expatriates situations. There are quite a number of expatriate chaps who have over stayed beyond the 4 year limit in Zambia. Can you please do your job.

    • Pliz do check some company has about 50 staff of which most aer expatiates doing nothing but enjoying zambia. Do we need expatriates to sell solar solar in zaqmbia

  7. Just check what other countries are doing. How possible is it, in the first place, to get a work permit in Zimbabwe. Lusengo lwa mbwa. Impossible! Check Namibia and other surrounding countries. Even Botswana now have stiffened immigration laws. It is only in Zambia where anyone from bricklays to Professors can easily get permits and do whatever they feel like doing. Even when you manage to get permits in these countries, look at the treatment. We are just too receptive in Zambia.

    • I agree with you bro. We have one country, Zambia and we should everything to secure our interests. Having lived abroad in other countries has made me appreciate my home and country because in the foreign countries you are constantly reminded of being a foreigner and you are put in your rightful place. We should send a clear signal to foreigners coming to Zambia that we mean business and we will deport anyone found wanting.

  8. Meant to say’ The Way the PRO did the statement it is clear that the DG was not popular with his employees. Its rather strange for the PRO to communicate the firing of her boss in such as daring fashion like the statement was done by someone from the party for her to just read it out’

  9. Hon Lungu you make feel proud bieng a Zambian. Please keep it up with your work. You are a man of action. Please send officers to Ndola, to invstigate the influx of Somalians, Al-Shabab.

  10. @ No. 10 Kanyengambeta,I agree with you bro. We have one country, Zambia and we should everything to secure our interests. Having lived abroad in other countries has made me appreciate my home and country because in the foreign countries you are constantly reminded of being a foreigner and you are put in your rightful place. We should send a clear signal to foreigners coming to Zambia that we mean business and we will deport anyone found wanting.

  11. It was not Anderson Phiri’s fault. Does it take the Highest Office to implement deportation? There are several immigration woes committed under unip, mmd and still going on in Pf and how many DG’s paid for them. Anderson is a man of integrity and he will get over this unfortunate incident and move on ! Another Tonga at the helm, PF this is not the way to get Tonga votes! Kaunda tried it with Lozis’s and where are we today, back to the drawing board!

  12. THE MINISTER MR EDGAR LUNGU SHOULD NOW LOOK INTO DEPORTING HUNDREDS OF ILLEGAL GUYS FROM INDIA AND PAKISTAN WHO HAVE OBTAINTAINED ZAMBIAN PASSPORTS AFTER PAYING AROUND 12 TO 15,000US DOLLARS. THERE IS AN INDIAN GUY FROM CHIPATA WHO IS AN AGENT FOR THESE ILLEGAL RACKET AND THERE IS ANOTHER INDIAN BUSINESSMAN ON FREEDOMWAY WHO LIVES IN MAKENI WHO IS ALSO INVOLVED IN THESE HUMAN TRAFFICKING,CAN THE HONOURABLE MINISTER PLEASE BRING THESE CULPRITS TO BOOK.

  13. Immigration Department is TOO Corrupt.Ba Tata Ba Sata Please do something about those Corrupt Bastards at Immigration Offices!

  14. The dismissal of Immigration DG Bwana Phiri is long overdue. The Hon. Minister of Home Affairs needs to weed out the corrupt elements in this inept department. He should start the cleanup from the Kitwe Immigration Office which is staffed by officers whose main preoccupation is to take bribes from foreigners of West African origin. The ACC should immediately institute a probe into the affairs of the Kitwe Immigration Office.

  15. @ 6 Immigration Department and Passport Office are two different institutions in Zambia, and @ 16 the Acting Director General is not tonga, his name is actually Moola Milomo, a lozi by tribe. LT should get correct data as well.

  16. Good news. Yes, Zambia’s immigration department is among the worst of all corrupt government bodies in Zambia today. I think, the minister should just fire the entire top management and appoint young educated and dedicated new blood. We need some form of sanity brought to these departments. Next, should all border and customs commissioners…greedy and corrupted busterds I’ve ever seen! The ZP should not be spared as well. And then, passport office, and then…ok ok ok. You get my point already. Clean up the mess please!

  17. Dear Immigration Department I have niece who has disappeared from home for years and is reputedly a prostitute somewhere out there. She claims to be in the UK. Can you please get in touch with your counterparts there and ensure she is deported back to Zambia as she stole my neighbour’s wife’s underpants and K350,000 the last time she was in Lusaka.

    Please be warned she had to undergo treatment for various STIs here at the sexual Health clinic at UTH. Apparently she had suh a unique mixture of these afflictions she was used as a study case by the medical students at our University. I would advise wearing thick gloves and Americabn football helmets while apprehending her and make sure you anti rabies serum on hand and contact with this young lady is a serious risk to your health.

  18. My niece Mushota taulaleka ubu hule ku UK. Watushila abeshikulu kuno ku Zambia and you don’t send any money. We here you make a lot o money standing on street corners in London. My only wish is you send some money for these bastards you left here in Zambia.

    P.S. Tukapose aya ama ARV you have left behind here in Kanyama.

  19. This is confusing. Is insulting employees or dismissing pregnant employees grounds for deportation in Zambia now? Why can’t they file a complaint for wrongful treatment or dismissal? Its a different situation if the company found the two in violation and laid them off at which point they would have no legal right to remain in Zambia. Whats even more concerning is that most of you bloggers agree with such a thing. It sounds like that case where Somalians and Ethiopians were caught in Zambia illegally and sentenced to 15 years in prison. And people wonder why we are not developed as a country…you go figure.

    • The lady was very cruel and its right she was deported. the guy stood up for the zambian workers even reinstating the victums. The lady paid a bribe to deport clark. Lungu wanted a bribe from clark he refused and was deported. Clarks workers fought the system and lungu had no option but to deport the lady. DG immagration was an escape goat and fired. Shula from immigration is the real corrupt on. I was present this is the real story. 

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