By CHILA NAMAIKO –

THE Choma magistrate’s court has fined a Malawian business executive K20, 000 for failure to renew his cross-border permit.
Wilton Chasweka, 50, was charged with failure to comply with terms of notice contrary to the Immigration and Deportation Act.
On January 23, this year, in Choma, Chasweka, a holder of a Malawian Passport number MA148363, failed to comply with terms of notice issued and extended on January 16, this year, for seven days which required him to appear before an Immigration officer for extension of his cross-border permit number 000211 that expired on January 6, this year.
The officer-in-charge of operations at Choma internal investigations office noticed that Chasweka’s file number S0P/IM/C.142/13 was not up-to-date.
The officer, then notified his investigation unit to locate Chasweka to ascertain his contemporary immigration status.
On March 10, this year, an immigration patrol team cornered Chasweka at Choma’s Makalanguzu Main Market and they demanded documents.
After being interviewed, Chasweka, produced a cross-border permit number 000211 that had expired on January 6, this year.
He further produced a Report Order issued to him on January 7, this year, which meant to assist him find money to pay for extension of his permit.
When he failed to find the prescribed fee by January 14, this year, the immigration office further extended his Report Order on two more occasions.
The Report Order legalising his stay in Zambia expired on January 23, this year, and Chasweka did not bother to go back to the Immigration office to extend his stay and he was arrested.
Chasweka appeared before chief resident magistrate Willie Sinyangwe on Thursday for written facts where he was slapped with a K20, 000 fine for failing to renew his cross border permit.