Some former Council workers in Mansa in Luapula Province have expressed dismay at the local authority’s silence over their terminal benefits.
The retrenched workers said following the recent announcement by Local Government
and Housing Minister Silvia Masebo that Government had released K25 billion meant to
cater for retrenched council employees countrywide, nothing was forthcoming from the
local authority in Mansa.
The workers complained to ZANIS in Mansa today that since the announcement by Ms.
Masebo three weeks ago, Mansa Municipal Council has not availed them with any
information as to whether the funds have been received.
The former Council workers led by Ms. Catherine Mwansa said they had been left with
no option but to complain because the local authority had left them in the dark
regarding their terminal benefits.
‘Despite the news of money being made available coming three weeks ago, we are
surprised that the Mansa Municipal Council is not making efforts to fully inform us
on what is the way forward since we are now outsiders, unable to know what is
happening within the system.’ Ms. Mwansa said.
But Mansa Municipal Council Town Clerk Bwanga Kapumpa in an interview dispelled the
assertion that the local authority was not concerned with the plight of the
retrenched workers.
Mr. Kapumpa said the disbursing huge amounts of money to the 72 district councils in
the country involved process of documentations at various stages including banks
before the local authorities actually received the money.
He said Councils would have to pay and issue cheques for the former workers as set
by the guidelines from Government and according to the verified lists.
The Town Clerk said there was no need for the former council employees to panic or
raise concern because receipt of funds by the local authority would not be
concealed but made available to them.
