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Ordeal of Zambian journalist
2006-02-28 08:39:31
By Guardian Reporter
Needless delays at the Immigration Department, sheer laxity, lack of commitment to serve the public and sheer arrogance that is apparently a veneered demand for handouts have put in disrepute the integrity of some officials at the department’s headquarters in Dar es Salaam.
There have been a myriad of complaints from individuals implicating officials at the department for being notorious in asking for bribes and unnecessary delays in issuing travel documents.
What befell Isaac Chipampe, a Zambian journalist in the country on an exchange programme typifies the unfortunate state of affairs at Immigration offices.
For Chipampe, besides having to bear with arrogant officials and insistent demands for payment for unspecified fees, it took him more than a week to get a handwritten document to legitimise his stay in the country.
With a handwritten Visitor’s Pass taking more than one week to prepare many visitors and tourists coming to Tanzania are wary of being subjected to unnecessary inconveniences.
Coming from a Southern African Development Community (SADC) member state, Chipampe’s harrowing experience began the moment he stepped out of the plane at Mwalimu Julius Kabarage Nyerere International Airport in Dar es Salaam.
The scribe is in the country courtesy of NSJ (translated, Nordic, Southern African Journalism), a Mozambique-based media organisation that promotes journalism in Southern Africa.
’I believed that with a common and shared history between Zambia and Tanzania, I did not need to apply for a visa to enter Dar es Salaam,’ said Isaac.
’With an understanding that The Guardian Newspaper Ltd was facilitating an exchange programme for me,’ said the journalist, ’NSJ probably having prior experience with Immigration officers in some countries, had armed participants, including me, with a letter of introduction for presentation at the port of entry.’
The exchange programme started on February 1 and will run to March 30.
According to Chipampe, the unforgettable and cumbersome encounter with the Immigration officials began at the airport on January 31, 2006.
At the airport, a male Immigration officer demanded $50 (90,000/-) for a visa and other credentials including a letter from NSJ and a passport.
’I explained to him that I had not come here for employment, but on a two-month exchange programme. This appeared to offend him more.
He conversed in Kiswahili with his female workmate. Then asked me what he could do for me which, indeed puzzled me further,’ recalls the journalist.
However, not having expected that he would be subjected to visa requirement, the journalist had not carried any money.
He was therefore given a three-day stay reprieve in Dar es Salaam in lieu of payment and asked to report at Immigration Department headquarters the next day to sort out the issue.
He went to the Immigration after two days as he had a day left with his passport and the female officer at the airport had indicated.
His passport had been stamped ’subject to report imm hq’ and ’hv 3/2/06’.
The scribe went to the headquarters the next day and an officer there remained firm that there was no shortcut about it but to pay the fee.
Surprisingly, the officer gave a list of documents to be produced.
These included four passport size photographs, a copy of a page in my passport, a letter from The Guardian.
But more interesting was the demand for business documents indicating what The Guardian did or operated as an enterprise, with a rider ’the owners of The Guardian would know what I mean.’
Startled with the developments, The Guardian wrote a letter to the Director of Immigration explaining the situation and that he was not an employee but a volunteer.
He then gave me two forms to fill and to make my payment at some other Immigration offices in town.
A stranger in
Dar, I was being told to look for other Immigration offices.
To offer a helping hand, a local journalist accompanied him to the Immigration headquarters only to be instructed to go to the Ministry of Information, Culture, and Sports so that they could give a go ahead. They did oblige.
Assistant Director Raphael Hokororo was ready to make things easy for both local and foreign journalists.
He gave him a letter that reiterated the purpose of his stay under the support of NSJ for journalists from SADC member countries.
Coming back to the same officer at the Immigration equipped with the letter he paid $50 and was assured that the document would be ready the following day.
But nothing ever happened for the next 14 days! Hardly 24 hours later, the same officer said that the document would be ready after one week.
But knowing how crucial the document was, the scribe went back to the office only to find another officer who told him to wait. Like many people in the building, he obliged.
After two hours, the same officer he had been dealing with called him and mockingly asked him how he felt. ’I am tired,’ Isaac replied before being asked to go back the following day.
But this ruffled feathers as the management of The Guardian was surprised at the turn of events. Prior to that, journalists from Zambia, Lesotho, Swaziland and Zimbabwe on similar programme had not been made to pay.
Another journalist from the office accompanied him to help sort out things.
More and more people were coming into the building, some leaving as early as they came, with surprisingly good attention from the same officer. Others looked like they would sleep in the building.
An officer from the public relations department came out to assure us the document would be ready.
It was another long wait. The document was ready just about mid-day.
It was a hand written document labelled ’Visitors Pass.’
Part of the information on the pass reads, ’Temporarily carrying on business with The Guardian for two months’ and a finality, ’Non-extendable.’
That is the agony that faces foreigners and locals alike and the challenge that faces the new government.
Perhaps a second visit by the President to this Ministry could be timely.
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