Push has come to shove as roughly 150 Malawi Defence Force (MDF) ex-soldiers and widows have bemoaned the government’s delays to give them retirement and death gratuities.
Spokesperson for the group, Bester Banda, told The Daily Times that their efforts to get the same have been in vain, such that they have resorted to holding a vigil at Capital Hill to force the government to act on the issue.
“From tomorrow [Monday], we will be having a vigil a Capital Hill after Treasury failed to honour its promises. Some retirees have gone as long as 28 months without getting their retirement packages. The government owes the group over K7.5 billion in gratuities,” he said.
He claimed that, on July 11, group members engaged Secretary to the Treasury McDonald Mafuta Mwale, saying they were told that the government would square the gratuities in two tranches in August and September this year.
“But, following failure by government to honour the promise, we went to the Treasury again and were told that the government would pay us in three tranches of K2.5 billion in October, November and December,” he said.
He, however, said the authorities have also failed to honour the October promise.
In a letter to Lilongwe District Commissioner Lawford Palani, the retired soldiers and widows are asking for permission to hold vigils at Capital Hill, Treasury and Accountant General’s offices.
“We have had a couple of meetings and the last [one] with Secretary to Treasury (ST) on 11th July 2023 which, to us, was of the highest order. As per our discussions with the ST, he assured us that payments for gratuities would be made in August and September 2023, respectively, covering those in a bracket of nine months up to two years and over.
“Be informed that whatever we agreed with relevant stakeholders has not been fulfilled. It is worrisome that, after all the efforts which were made, only a few individuals got paid, which shows that nothing seems to improve. We feel cheated and neglected for so long by the authorities and that, after long years of noble service to our country as men in uniform, we are now treated as such,” the letter reads.
And, in a letter dated November 10 2023, Lilongwe District Council has given members of the group the go-ahead to hold the vigils from Tuesday.
In the letter, the council recommends that the vigil should start from Kamuzu Mausoleum to Capital Hill and back to Kamuzu Mausoleum, where the members can continue the rest of the vigils.
MDF spokesperson Emmanuel Mlelemba Sunday said his institution is aware of the impending vigils.
“Yes we are aware and we were given a copy of the same,” Mlelemba said.
In an interview Sunday, Mafuta Mwale said there is a payment plan that the government agreed with members of the group.
The ST added that the Accountant General is following that plan.
“Like any other retired officers, government is paying them slowly and they will all be paid,” Mafuta Mwale said.
