By Linda Kwanjana
On 4 January, 2024, a 23 year young lady held vigils at Capital Hill demanding the pension of her late father.
On the same night following the reports , Secretary to the President and Cabinet Colleen Zamba visited the girl at the Accountant General’s office assuring her that Government will sort out her father’s gratuity.
However, despite the assurances Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) law makers decided to politicise the whole thing.
DPP director of women Mary Navicha and Levi Luwemba, went allover intimidating the Government to force the Government to release the finances. Let Navicha and his friends know that Government is a system. Everything operates systematically.
Even when DPP was in power people had to wait to receive their benefits. Government owes pensioners billion of money because the basket is just too small to pay out every one at once.
DPP should know that the same basket has to buy drugs for our Hospitals, pay our security agencies Malawi Police and Army.
Government has paid Hendrina not because of pressure from DPP but these benefits were already finalised.
OPC spokesperson Robert Kalindiza in an interview said he met the family members at the accountant general’s office, where it was established that she came at a time the benefits were already due for payment.
He said the payment of these benefits does ot mean succumbing to pressure, but that President Lazarus Chakwera is also concerned with the delays, as this is supposed to be paid within a year in normal circumstances.
