Concerned Retired Civil Servants (CRCS) have planned to hold vigil at the offices of the Accountant General at Capital Hill in Lilongwe over non-payment of gratuities for pensioners.
In a notification letter dated 24 October 2024 and addressed to Lilongwe District Commissioner Lawford Palani, the said vigil will start from 4th November this year until they’re sorted out.
The development follows the government’s failure to fulfil its promises. The two agreed on an open dialogue on 14th October 2024.
During the said dialogue, which led to the cancellation of the group’s first planned vigil, the government promised to commence payment on 21st October 2024, but to no avail.
The government’s failure to fulfil the 14th October 2024 agreement has angered the Concerned Retired Civil Servants who feel fooled.
Reads part of the notification letter: “Instead of doing the needful, you have decided to remain quiet and closed your door, not even picking up our phone calls. Concerned Retired Civil Servants was fooled to give a chance for negotiation but not appropriated.”
Through the notification letter, the group said they’re tired and exhausted with every lie this government has done to elderly people like them.
“We have to this unwavering consensus to hold a vigil on 4th November 2024 until we see vivid proof of payment of our gratuities. This time dialogue shall not be a resolving option but payment,” added the letter.
In their last dialogue, the government pledged to start disbursing the first K20 billion from K200 billion sourced funds for gratuities arrears from 21 October 2024 to March 2025.
Apart from that, government officials and the concerned retired civil servants agreed to hold another meeting on 25th October this year but all to no avail.
The group’s publicity secretary general, Ben Mitochi said they’re suffering too much with the delays.
According to him, most of them are languishing on the ground, lacking basic necessities of life due to the lack of financial pension benefits that the government is holding.
Minister of Finance, Simplex Chithyola Banda told the media recently that plans to clear all arrears for retired civil servants are underway.
