The Office of the Auditor General has revealed that passports valued at over K71 million remain unaccounted for under the Ministry of Home Affairs and Internal Security.
According to the Auditor General’s Report on the Accounts of the Republic for the financial year ended 31st December 2024, weaknesses in the passport issuance system left a significant number of travel documents untracked. The report states that the unaccounted passports were valued at K71.5 million.
The audit observed that the Ministry failed to establish adequate controls in the issuance, storage and reconciliation of passports, resulting in a gap between the number of documents printed and those accounted for.
The report warns that the lapses create risks of abuse, including the possibility of fraudulent issuance or unauthorized use of official travel documents.
The Auditor General has since recommended that the Ministry of Home Affairs and Internal Security strengthens its monitoring mechanisms, enforces accountability measures and ensures that all passports are properly recorded and reconciled to safeguard state resources and protect national security.
By Dingindaba Jonah Buyoya.
