By Pemphero Malimba:
Malawian Stevens Prince Thengo has demanded that the government, through the Department of Immigration and Citizenship Services, pay him K300 million in compensation for claims of breach of statutory duty, false imprisonment, humiliation, mental anguish and reimbursement of expenses.
This is outlined in a demand letter addressed to the department and the Attorney General, which The Daily Times has seen.
According to the letter, Thengo, a holder of Malawi passport number MWA289222, issued by the department on June 1, 2024, was denied entry into Israel on December 25, 2024, as authorities claimed his passport could not be read in their system at Ben Gurion Airport in that country.
The letter further states that on the evening of the said date, Thengo was put on a plane to Zambia, where he had originally flown to Israel.
“Upon arrival in Zambia, our client was arrested for presenting a fake passport and spent two nights in custody.
“It is our client’s account that he was only released on December 28, 2024 by the Zambian authorities, following the intervention of Malawi Consulate officials in Zambia and his lawyers in both Malawi and Zambia,” the letter reads.
The law firm says that Thengo feels his rights were violated through the detention in Israel and Zambia, among other grievances.
He also feels that he was humiliated, his reputation tarnished through his detention in Israel and that he lost funds which had been used to purchase air tickets to and from Israel.
“From the foregoing, we have received instructions and hereby demand the sum of K300,000,000 in compensation,” the letter adds.
According to the firm, the demand to the department is based on the belief that it has a statutory duty to issue valid travel documents.
In an interview, lawyer William Chiwaya of the firm said that the letter was submitted to the concerned stakeholders on February 4.
“We are yet to receive any response. However, the law requires that for any claims against the government, a 90- day notice must be given. So, after the expiry of 90 days, we should be able to take the next step, which is going to court, if the matter is not settled,” Chiwaya said.
The Department of Immigration and Citizenship Services’ acting Deputy Director, Fletcher Nyirenda, said that the department had not yet seen the letter.
Attorney General Thabo Chakaka Nyirenda also said he had not yet received the letter.
Concerns about the readability of the Malawi passport in other countries were first raised following the resumption of the passport issuance system early last year, after the system had faced technical difficulties.
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