Ex-MYP stage demo to demand terminal benefits: Give Malawi govt 5-day ultimutum
Former members of the Malawi Young Pioneer (MYP) on Monday staged a demonstration in Lilongwe to persuade government to pay them the terminal benefits after the disbandment of the para-military group in 1994.
The government owes the 2 765 ex-MYPs about K1.6 billion following the disbandment of the group.
Chairperson of the ex-MYP members Franco Chilemba said the ex-employees have waited enough for their compensation for the unlawful dismissals and held demonstrations to ask government pay them their terminal benefits.
“Government official promised us after our meeting in May this year, that the money would be paid out after three weeks. But up to now we have not received anything,” he said.
Chilemba said the Minister of Finance promised them that their dues would be paid after the budget is passed.
He said they are giving government up to Friday to pay them or they will continue with the demonstrations.
Chilemba said they will camp at the heart of government business- Capital Hill and outside Office of the President and Cabinet in particular.
Former MYP members claim were illegally dismissed some 18 years ago by the first democratic administration of Bakili Muluzi under the United Democratic Front (UDF).
The Malawi Young Pioneers was dissolved in 1994 by the Muluzi administration which understood the grouping as more of an instrument for oppression than a tool for development agenda.
Thousands of its ex-officers are scattered across the country while some managed to find employment many of them have remained jobless up to date.
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These ruthless and heartless people should recall what they did to millions of Malawians and here now they want compensation! At the memorial tower they are using that bush around as toilets and no wonder that place is a health hazard and Lilongwe will soon experience a serious health hazard. Yes they are Malawians but if indeed they were part and parcel of the civil service which they weren’t and making them civil servants is am afraid a serious deserve to tax payers- this was a paramilitary wing of the MCP and not of Malawi Government so its like DPP putting its cadets on payroll! or UDF putting its Youth Wing on PAYRolll! They said they learnt so may skills let them use those to keep their lives together than kudzapambuka ku Area 18! You see these guys have camped for 14 days now and eating daily! who is helping them! Let the blesser chose to support 20 of the women their so that they can go back and look after their kids at home! Kayombe- Munazunza anthem inn who also need compensation but they have not come to Capital hill to soil that place!
Apasenit zawo what happended during that time was a sad day for our country. A group of undisciplined soldiers started demolishing Government buildings and merciless hunting of innocent fellow Malawians. The result is unspeakable poverty of infrastructure which Government has failed to revovate to date. You look at the Youth House in City Centre pathetic, Kamuzu Institute for Youth pathetic, all the MYP bases that were demolished. Government should pay these workers, they deserved better treatment. Next MCP should sue Malawi Army for damages to their Headquarters building.
must be a young fellow.or at least one of them
Malawi Young Pioneer(MYP)
It is a pity MYP was disbanded the way it did for lack of vision on the part of leadership that took over. I should think, i stand on correction, if truly MYP provoked the Army by beating up one of the soldiers for no logical reason other than the feeling of having more support from the then government, indeed it spread nothing, but ill discipline. Even though that was the case, the new government should not have disbanded the institution for more than anything else, economic reasons. MYP contributed to the Country’s economic development. The institution contributed a lot to reducing unemployment. Really, if institutions were to be disbanded in the fashion the Bakili government did, then police and army for the amount of corruption happening in these institutions should be disbanded too.
Alot happened anyway in Bakili leadership. Railway transport failed in replacement of road transport, which was deliberately done to benefit politicians who had trucks.
In my view MYP would not have been disbanded, but managed it by restructuring it in such a way to fit in the multiparty democracy State. Afterall the institution would be serving the government of the day just it served the MCP led government then. Afterall whether we agree or disagree they are the citizens of this Country and they deserve protection and care by the government of the day. These brothers and sisters are very skilful and they can contribute a lot to the ailing economy of the Country. Pay them, who knows they could use the money to start something. Stop being passive thinkers. Please leadership take care of your citizens, regardless of party affiliation. It is dangerous to have a situation where majority of your population in grave poverty. The few will have stinking rich families will have no place to hide their money. It is easy to know them and target them. Even those off shore banks where you hide your money will start vomiting the money back because the smell of poverty will be too much for them.