By Brenda Kayo
Some former Malawi Young Pioneers (MYP) have accused Office of the President and Cabinet (OPC) officials of overlooking some of them on the issue of pension.
One of the ex-officials, Lonely Kadammanja, told The Daily Times that 1,019 people were supposed to benefit from the pension but said the government has only released 749 names.
Kadammanja further claimed that out of the approved 749 names, some are “ghost workers”.
“We are surprised to learn that the government has only released 749 names from the 1,019 people that were supposed to benefit from pension meant for MYP former workers.
- Advertisement -
“We are even more concerned because the number of people that have been left out is very high. With 89 more people on top of the targeted beneficiaries, one wonders where these people are coming from.
“There are many people who worked for MYP but only we, about 1,108 people, have come to complain about our money while others have not yet come. This means if they come, the number will even go higher than the total number of beneficiaries,” she said.
Another ex-official, namely Melise Phiri, said they are worried because they completed all the formalities but their names have been left out.
“We are concerned about this because we filled all the forms and were vetted. We submitted all the bank details and opened bank accounts and, yet, they are saying our names are missing. Where have our names and the forms gone?” she queried.
- Advertisement -
- Advertisement -
When contacted, OPC spokesperson Robert Kalindiza said the ex-MYP officials are in two phases, the first one comprising 700 people who served for not more than seven years.
“The second phase comprises 99 members who served for more than seven years.
“Government has released [names of those covered in] the first phase to receive their compensation. This includes those that were in exile and the 700 people that worked as pioneers for not more than seven years. These people are not included on the pension list; rather, they are just being compensated.
“The other phase will be for those who worked as pioneers for more than seven years and there are 99 people. These people are on pension. Their names are not yet out as government is still working on it to complete their list. 1,119 people are the ones who are supposed to benefit,” Kalindiza said.
The Malawi Army disarmed MYP—a paramilitary wing which started as an agricultural development arm of the Malawi Congress Party in 1963— during a countrywide raid code-named Operation Bwezani in December 1993.
About 7,000 MYP workers were rendered jobless by Operation Bwezani and demanded compensation for sudden loss of jobs in 1991.
