The Zambia National Pensioners Association (ZANAPA) in Livingstone and Kazungula districts, has bemoaned the delay in the amendment of the Pensions Act Number 35 of 1996.
ZANAPA Secretary for the two districts, Patrick Namakando says the amendment process which was initiated in 2004 has not yet been completed.
Mr. Namakando told ZANIS in an interview in Livingstone today that the situation has denied pensioners the right to receive monthly dues.
He explained that pensioners had no legal platform to demand for an increase in their monthly pay and as such were heavily dependent on parliamentarians to look into their plight and finalize the amendment of the Act to alleviate their suffering.
Mr. Namakando said there was urgent need to establish an effective framework that would cater for the needs of pensioners and other senior citizens as was the case in other SADC countries.
He said pensioners had served their country with diligence and contributed immensely to the social, economic and political development of the nation adding that ignoring their plight was discriminatory.
Mr. Namakando said the worst affected pensioners were those that retired before 2002 as their monthly pay was still pegged at between K60, 000 and K150, 000 and could hardly meet their basic and social needs.
ZANIS
Pensioners are getting a raw deal.60,000 to 150,000 ZMK is same as nothing!!! Please enact this Pension Act ASAP.
why is that for things that benefit the masses MPs take there donkey time to amend whereas things that benefit them directly eg gratuite r amended at the speed of light. [and they loudly exclaim we are servants of the masses, how i d i o t i c!