Friday, March 29, 2024

Police Fire Teargas at Protesting Retirees demanding benefits, in arrears for 17 years

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Zambia Police yesterday fired tear gas to disperse irate Ndola City Council (NCC) retirees protesting at the civic centre.

The angry retirees who are demanding for settlement of benefits which they stated have been in arrears for the last 17 years, stood ground and did not disperse but proceeded to lock up access gates, doors to the institution locking workers inside.

Speaking in interview, retirees Chairperson Kenny Matavu expressed disappointment with the current Management at NCC calling for their dismissal.

Mr.Matavu accused the Townclerk of not heeding to the directive from Local Government Permanent secretary to pay them.

He disclosed that the representative recently sat a meeting with the Ndola Mayor Amon Chisenga who assured them that the local authority was ready to commence settling them of the arrears being owed.

He said the retirees took the mayors word and convened at the civic centre hoping to get their money but where informed that both Town clerk and Mayor where out of office.

“The retirees are angered because of the lies that the leadership at NCC has continue to peddle in their intrest to delay settling what is owed to us.

Our cry is to the Copperbelt Minister Bowman Lusambo to intervene in this matter because the local authority senior most personnel is not being truthful.

Our colleagues are deceased and have left behind orphans and widows who are in dire need of the money.

We have waited for too long clocking 17 years this year since we left employment. Why are we being mistreated for demanding what is owed to us,” he asked.

Mr.Matavu produced letter dated 11th November,2016 from Ministry of local government Permanent secretary Amos Malupenga addressed to the NCC Town Clerk on failure to produce records pertaining to the claim of non- implementation of 2001,50 percent salary award.

“The letter with reference to the report MLGHCBP/101/7/2 from the Copperbelt local government office,the permanent secretary advised the local authority to attach the matter with the urgency it deserves, stressing that failure to submit original list of claimants was delaying comfortable settlement of the issue.

And the letter reads,warning to ndola city council that should they still fail to produce documents by 18th November 2016 ,the PS is to make decision without the councils submission.

The letter states clearly that principal local government auditor who chaired meeting in Lusaka intimated the Ndola city council had failed to produce our records in that meeting and we have made frantic efforts to inquire if it has submitted as per subject of the query from the Ministry but the response is not satisfactory.

However Ndola District Commissioner George Chisulo held closed door meeting with the retiree’s representative and senior police officers.

Upon imaging from the meeting , Mr.Matavu informed the retirees that the Townclerk and Mayor where reported out of office in Lusaka and the DC had since advised them that they (retirees) commence fresh legal proceeding against the local authority.

Hpwever the retirees protested that the issue had been exhausted up the supreme court and opted to returned on Monday next week and seek audience with the Council senior personnel

Over 400 NCC retirees are claiming settlement of 50 percent increment arrears.

19 COMMENTS

  1. There we go again with stup1d PF police. Tear gas day in and day out. Do these 1diots know that one day they shall also be retirees?

    • Itizi,
      Most stories on lsk times are copiedand pasted from Qfm zambia website. Go to the site and see exact articles.

    • We must pay all dues to the retiress and Mr President Sir, please for the next 3 months remove all allowances for Ministers, Perm Secretaris, MPs and other top govt big wigs so that those funds can be channelled to paying these retirees!Even the Luxury SUVs should be grounded let the govt officers drive their own vehicles! We need to cut on expenditure for the sake of our retirees!

    • The solution to this problem is having retirement accounts for individuals maintained by entities that are not connected to the employer.

      The way things stand right now is paternalistic.

  2. Please let us as a nation value our retirees. Why should such a situation be allowed to continue? Retirement benefits must follow one month after a person retires. The President preached about our ethics and values in his speech in parliament. I think we need to compile a comprehensive list of our values that we ALL must uphold, otherwise the President’s speech is worthless.

  3. No pf dogs will comment on this article. And those that will, will have nothing tangible to say. The pf trigger happy police is controlled by lungu and mentally retarded thugs like kaiser zulu. Why you think these clowns tear gassed u20afcon and then that monkey lungu even went ahead to suggest that Zambia should host the afcon. Lungu chipuba

  4. What is the logic of Teargassing Senior Citizen? Let us think before resulting to such actions, we cannot teargas senior citizen just as well as babies, because the gasses are likely to complicate the respiratory system and even cause death.

  5. Lungu and PF bankrupted the treasury fighting HH. They borrowed like there was no tomorrow.

    There is no money for anything.
    You retairees should vote Wisley next time.

  6. Let’s have a retirees day; a time to commemorate the contribution our senior citizens made to the well-being of the country. Time we stopped treating our fore-bearers like used condomss or tissues. So so disgusting!

  7. Common on PF key board cadres, respond NEZ @4 beginning with Terrible, Ndanje khaki, vission2020, PF modus operanda; police cadres gassing innocent Zambians.

  8. Teargas has been classified as a chemical weapon by the International Community since 1993.
    Why is the Zambia police still using it?

  9. PERFECT SOLUTION BY POLICE TO TEAR GAS THE SO CALLED RETIREES, WHO TOLD THEM NOT TO SAVE MONEY WHILST IN SERVICE ATASE

  10. The agony of the NCC retirees extends to many govt departments and quasi institutions that are failing to meet their obligations, sadly due to widespread corruption and inherent mismanagement tendencies

  11. They are famous all over the world. All sports reporters know about them. Issa Hayatou knows them first hand. Supersport cameramen know them.The Zambia Teargassers

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