Immigration Department Arrests Tonse Alliance Deputy Secretary General Celestine Mukandila

18 Views The Department of Immigration has arrested Celestine Mukandila, deputy secretary general of the Tonse Alliance, over issues relating to his immigration status. In a statement issued Thursday, Chief Public Relations Officer Namati Nshinka said Mukandila, 36, was apprehended at his home in Mapepe, Chilanga, on the outskirts of Lusaka. “Mr. Celestin Mukandila, 36, […]

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The Department of Immigration has arrested Celestine Mukandila, deputy secretary general of the Tonse Alliance, over issues relating to his immigration status.

In a statement issued Thursday, Chief Public Relations Officer Namati Nshinka said Mukandila, 36, was apprehended at his home in Mapepe, Chilanga, on the outskirts of Lusaka.

“Mr. Celestin Mukandila, 36, was apprehended at his residence in Mapepe-Chilanga, Lusaka, today,” Nshinka said.

“He is currently in the custody of the Department of Immigration as investigations into the matter continue.”

Nshinka said the arrest followed a report received by the department concerning Mukandila’s immigration status.

He did not give further details on the nature of the report or the specific allegations being investigated.

“The department will provide an update at an appropriate time,” he added.

Mukandila serves as deputy secretary general of the Tonse Alliance, a grouping of opposition political parties formed ahead of the August 13 elections.

He has been a vocal figure in the alliance’s post-election activities.

Immigration officers confirmed that Mukandila was taken into custody on Thursday morning and is being held at a Department of Immigration facility in Lusaka pending further inquiries.

The Department of Immigration is mandated under Zambian law to regulate the entry, stay and exit of foreign nationals, and to investigate cases of suspected immigration violations.

These can include issues such as overstaying, unlawful entry, failure to regularize status, or provision of false information.

Nshinka said the department was following due process and that Mukandila would be accorded all rights provided under the law during the investigation.

The arrest comes at a time when political activity remains heightened following the general elections.

The Tonse Alliance has been among the opposition groupings questioning aspects of the electoral process and calling for transparency in governance.

By Thursday evening, the Tonse Alliance had not issued an official statement on Mukandila’s detention.

Legal practitioners note that in immigration cases, suspects are usually interviewed, their documents verified, and a determination made on whether charges will be preferred or administrative action taken.

The Department of Immigration said it would inform the public once investigations are concluded.

For now, authorities say Mukandila remains in custody as officers continue to establish the facts surrounding the report that triggered his arrest.