Malawi army soldiers demand their allowances, petition govt

Over 847 soldiers from the Malawi Defence Force (MDF) have lodged a complaint to government through MDF Commander General Ignacio Maulana on why their allowances amounting to K1.3 billion were deducted for no plausible explanation after they finished their peacekeeping sojourns mainly in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

Soldiers demand their allowances
Fit and well: MDF soldiers

An internal memo dated June 4, 2015 indicates that the whole budget for the whole contingent was K 3 billion ( $ 6, 769, 224) but so far government has only remitted K1.7 billion ($ 3, 780, 515)

The memo, copied to all army units and signed by Lieutenant Colonel Gowa, shows that the soldiers were supposed to get $1332 monthly from August 2014 – February 2015 but have not done so since September, 2014.

After getting the whole $1332 amount in August, the soldiers then received only $574 in September and October. Thereafter, they got $1090 each for three months from November to January this year.

The memo strongly highlights that the Department of Peacekeeping Operations has been remitting insufficient funds for all these months and this has brought discord among the men and women in uniform who have served mostly in the Democratic of Congo (DRC)

Maulana recently appealed to President Peter Mutharika to help the Army address its many problems.

The MDF has been dogged by serious accommodation problems among others over the years and Nyasa Times reported before that President’s visit that junior ranked officers are demanding cash-strapped government to consider salary hikes of up to 70 percent for the soldiers to match with the rising cost of living.

The soldiers in a circulating mail are asking government to increase their allowance, improve their accommodation and transport facilities and enhance their promotion system and pensions.

When he visited Kamuzu Barracks in Lilongwe recently, Mutharika, who is also Commander-In-Chief of the MDF ,commended the military for its peace keeping missions and assured “Government’s continued support in ensuring the improved welfare of our men, and women in uniform.”

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OGO!!
OGO!!
8 years ago

Ayanmba kuday ndalama za United Nations….pa mbeee!! Peter Mutharika ndi anzake..all they think of is kuzilemeletsa!! All because some people even attempted to vote for them and they gave them the power to steal votes and run the country. I now believe that sitidziwa our capabilities as a nation..politicians should be held accountable…

Jackson Mulera
Jackson Mulera
8 years ago

Typing….

Gulugufe
Gulugufe
8 years ago

Disband the Malawi army!

Odabwa
Odabwa
8 years ago

Please- please -please give them their money as calculated,popanda chilungamo, zilinzonse kuomba, aaa? tired of this pa Malawi, ngati mukubera asilikali zoti zawo ndi zodziwikilatu nanga zithandozo zinazi zimaenda bwa? once more give them, ndizawo.

Mathews makuteya
Mathews makuteya
8 years ago

Osadanda peter akupatsan

Mbowe Mulambia
8 years ago

Pali zpnyengelerana apa

front
front
8 years ago

MLAIYA SWITCH ON OSAGONA.

Mwale
8 years ago

How many people have been killed by MDF and how many by Malawi police you brute moron did Godfly Mwale killed by soldiers why you did not arrest them who saw them killing you brute lets lean establishing facts B4 concluding things the police have refuted that soldiers killed Mwale have you investigate the matter take care you brute

Keen Observer
8 years ago

Ya there is no issue here just give them all their money & don’t send troops to peacekeeping missions if Malawi is not in a position to foot all those bills. My poor thinking was that when a country send troops to a peacekeeping mission then the allowances come from UN???? Try to school me on this one. If the answer is yes then why the government is holding that money. The other thing is that when these soldiers get that money a big percentage will die with that money. So take care.

frank kaponda
frank kaponda
8 years ago

Ngati ndizoona kuti ndarama zina aboma munawabera awa apatseni plz,

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