GOVERNMENT has assured retirees and Next of Kins of deceased retirees that it will soon pay them their terminal benefits.
Minister of Labour and Social Security Joyce Nonde-Simukoko said Government recognised its obligation to retirees and was aware of the anguish that the retirees and families of deceased retirees were going through.
Ms. Simukoko told the Daily Nation in an interview that clearing the backlog of retirees arrears was one of President Edgar Lungu’s administration’s top priorities. Thousands of retirees from different ministries and councils some years ago have still not being paid off their terminal benefits.
Ms. Simukoko said Government urgently wants to work towards clearing the money it owed to the retirees. “We can’t afford to have thousands of people who faithfully served our nation to be struggling to get their benefits after contributing to this great nation.
It is totally unacceptable. “One of the issues on our priority list as Ministry of Labour is to ensure that all those retirees that have not been paid their terminal benefits are paid as soon as possible.
So we are urgently going to follow it up and find out why the retirees have not been paid their benefits up to now,” Ms. Simukoko said.
Meanwhile, Ms. Simukko has also assured workers in Zambia of better days to come, saying that Government would ensure that casualisation of workers was completely eliminated especially in the private sector.
She said her Ministry would from time to time monitor people employed in certain institutions.
“If we find that a job that can be occupied by a Zambian is being given to a foreigner that we are not going to tolerate.
Importing labour should be on specialised basis, if it’s just a job that any Zambian can do, then why give it to a foreigner?” she wondered.
What, exactly, is the operational definition of casual labour? We employ over 20 different people just to harvest tomatoes everyday. Are we expected to employ them on permanent basis & pay all the statutory requirements to NAPSA, Workman’s Compensation, etc? Somenoe help us!
Stop that crap of bar foreign employees, Zambia is not America.
If I was PF president I would nominate 5 Japanese and 5 Chinese in my cabinet. There are only 2 capable ministers from that 25 bunch of nothing Edgar assembled.
We should all keep an eye on this issue. It’s totally unacceptable and completely unethical to owe pensions to the elderly.
How we treat the elderly in our country who were once our providers is also an ethical issue, and failing to pay pensions timely is a Human Rights issue.
I think the gov’t should also compensate in months there is failure, to pay pensions by adequate Welfare. Free food, free local Transport and free medical requirements. Gov’t can’t just hang elderly people out in the open and leave them wandering about in shopping centres begging for funds to survive. This reflects on the character of Zambians.
We are waiting starting to morrow i wil check my account.
@ Chacho
PLEASE let us know if and when.
Madame simukoko . Are you putting in your own money to pay retirees ? Just because yoy have been appointed minister and you start hulucinations . Your government one month in office is failing to pay salaries on time . Be serious
Mwanamulume so when hh says he will fix it is he going to use his money? Mdme Simukoko has a vision so let her do her thing
These Tongas always think opposite. we need minister like her, not shamenda and chi yaluma. zambian dont find these TONGAS let them waste time by talking petitions to the ICC, WHILE PF is working by the time theywill come to their senescence it will be 2021.
Thank you Joyce most of us have suffered we worked for the money but we get it for two months then a pause then they pay us in arrears with no interest please we never stole like others its soooo humiliating to wait for 50 dollars per month or 500 rebased for over four years
A million jobs and all retirees to be paid. I just wonder what stuff these PF fellows are high on. Shockingly still how some gullible Zambians are still excited about them. Surely leaders are reflection of the people. We have become a country of deceitful men and women and we see nothing wrong with it.
Hope this is not sugar coating Madam Simukoko for retirees should not seem to be begging for their entitlements! Whats sad is the way retirees have been treated concurring @ Patriot Abroad and David, while the next of kin to deceased retirees are having a hard time the authentic beneficiaries could have expired due to complications arising from delayed settlements! In mapping out work programs I expect leaders in government to thank all who participated against PF in the last elections for they in a way helped in pointing out the failures of PF and brought out issues that made headlines for the opposition being major concerns to the citizens thus PF now has opportunity to develop/harness a vision with a plan of action to get results!
Very interesting. I sincerely hope this lady means what she says. She may have very good intentions for the workers but if the appointing authority says no, wait then her efforts would be in vain. The same vigour she used to exhibit in fighting for the workers’ welfare when she was in the labour unions I hope is the same she would exhibit as Labour Minister.
Interesting indeed. Either she thinks we are fools, or she is one herself.
Madame, Shamenda was just as excited on appointment. Easier said than done per PF!
its very interesting news from madam nonde please take this serious there are many people who are suffering as a result of not being paid in time or not being clearly paid in line with their conditions of service . the likes of unionised retrenched zamtel employees and many others. we want to see you making a difference with the former minister of labour.
Go to Mopani and KCM! You have to walk the talk and just yap!
Mama If you manage to clear all the Pensioners and ensure that all Retirees get their dues on time ninshi inkakupela ukuboko. All the Politicians have failed to do this but squander money for political expedience leaving our pensioners suffering. But I think the ultimate is to liberalise pension. Let civil servants subscribe for pension organisation of their choice because the Public pension scheme does not demonstrate fiscal discipline and have no heart. Nakupapata Mama bombelapo apa pantu.
It has been confirmed, the combined weight of these two girls, Nonde and Dorah, equals that of a brand new New Generation Mahindra Scorpio 5 ton truck. When these two girls are like the Mahindra of India in motion especially heading towards Katete or Muchinga, they casn defy Newton’s third law of motion that states that for every action (force) in nature there is an equal and opposite reaction. They dont seem to attract any opposite reaction because all opposite reactions are scared of resisting their front thrust lest they crush like a comet and cause terrible damage to life and property.
Even Ba shamenda used to say the same things: Ubufi is a sin please. Read Jeremia 22: 13 it says: Woe to him who builds his house by unrighteousness, and his rooms by injustice, WHO USES HIS NEIGHBOR’S SERVICES WITHOUT WAGES, AND DOESN’T GIVE HIM HIS HIRE.
Lets just wish her all the best rather than judging her having already failed in anticipation because her vision/ dream is a positive one.
We Simukoko we, umunene emama afupizye izina, tuwamwita tuwati Joyce Simukoko. Ndimukuti Joyce Nonde-Simukoko, mumakutwi yane, nge mukuti Inyondo ye Simukoko.
It is hoped that Madam Simukoko can also follow up the Zambia Airways, Zambian Airways, Zambezi Airlines issues(all Defunct). These people have not been paid their terminal benefits and are left to die one by one due to depression yet they are a very specialized crop of people that did wonders to give the Zambian Skies a safety record and service that South African Airways, Ethiopian Airways, Kenya Airways or indeed British Airways never ever matched. Yet all these Zambian Employees have always been owed money, including the Government itself. The Zambia Airways issue has been in court for so many years yet the money gotten from the sale of thousands and thousands of assets that was said to be in some suspense account somewhere have somehow disappeared. And all the government could do…