Last year, an Integrity Assessment Report after a survey by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) and the National Statistical Office ( NSO) showed said that the Department of Immigration and Citizenship Services scores between 54 to 67% on the corruption scale.

In response to the report, Chief Immigration Officer, Masauko Medi, said the rating is a dent in the department’s reputation. He therefore warned officials against corrupt practices. “It is only individual officers who have answered cases of corruption. So, can they desist from element of corruption? Why should we be corrupt when we are providing a national service? We are losing our dignity because of the conduct of few officers that are selfish,” he said.

The report also said rated the Directorate of Road Traffic and Safety services (DRTSS), saying that 61% of DRTSS service providers felt that officials take bribes while 44.4% of users acknowledged that money, in the form of a bribe, is paid out. “The study also found that 38.2% of ICS service providers agreed that bribery was demanded for a service to be done, 75.7% of service users agreed that a bribe was paid out to officials for a service.” said the report in part.

When the report was released, the DRTSS Director, Fergus Gondwe, said the department would attend to the issues raised in the report.