The passport issuance system at the Ministry of Home Affairs has significant weaknesses, leaving millions in travel documents unaccounted for and raising alarms about potential fraud and unauthorized use.
LUSAKA – 3 October 2025. In a startling discovery, the Auditor General’s report has shown that passports worth over K71 million have mysteriously vanished while under the supervision of the Ministry of Home Affairs and Internal Security, exposing alarming failures in a system designed to protect national security.
This revelation comes from the Auditor General’s Report on the Accounts of the Republic for the financial year ending December 31, 2024, which points out serious flaws in the passport issuance and tracking system. A System in Disarray The report paints a troubling picture, revealing a significant discrepancy between the number of passports printed and those that can be accounted for.
It specifically highlights the Ministry’s inability to implement proper controls over the issuance, storage, and reconciliation of these sensitive travel documents. “The audit found that the Ministry did not establish adequate controls in the issuance, storage, and reconciliation of passports,” the report notes, identifying the source of the K71.5 million gap.
National Security and Fraud Risks But the report doesn’t just stop at financial implications; it issues a serious warning about the potential dangers of these oversights.
The missing passports pose a high risk of misuse, which could lead to: Fraudulent Issuance: Blank passports might be illegally distributed to individuals who haven’t been properly vetted.
These documents could end up in the hands of criminal organizations or individuals posing a threat to national security. This lack of oversight regarding official travel documents represents a significant risk to the integrity of the country’s borders and internal security.
