Former ward councillors are today set to start holding vigils in their respective councils to force government to pay them their gratuity in excess of K2.3 billion.
Each of the about 462 councillors, based on the communication The Nation has seen, will receive a gratuity of K5 million, up from an initial K1.5 million.
Malawi Local Government Association (Malga) executive member Joseph Thula, a former councillor for Mpamba Ward in Nkhata Bay North West Constituency, said the bone of contention was on the date of payment for the gratuity.
He said: “It’s for all the councils. We are going to hold vigils. Government has failed to pay our gratuity. Remember, we were on a contract, and after its termination on July 23, we were supposed to get the money immediately.
the respective council ORT bank accounts. | Nation
“On Tuesday last week, we sent a team of 32 councillors to Capital Hill. Promises were made, but nothing happened, and we want to show our anger in councils, not at Capital Hill. We have waited long enough and are tired.”
The Nation has seen two circulars from the government, one from Secretary for Human Resource Management and Development Blessings Chilabade and the other from the National Local Government Finance Committee (NLGFC).
In the letter dated August 28 2025, Chilabade wrote the Secretary for Local Government, National Unity and Culture communicating that Treasury had approved payment of K5 million from an initial K1.5 million, but includes a condition.
Reads the letter: “As guided by the Secretary to the Treasury, as the proposal has come after budget approval, the additional funds to meet the obligation fully will be provided through reprioritisation of planned programmes.”
In the second memo dated September 4 2025, NLGFC chief executive officer Kondwani Santhe acknowledged that councillors are entitled to receive gratuity at the end of their tenure.
“Each ward councillor will receive a revised gratuity of K5 million [five million kwacha only] from the earlier K1 500 000. The gratuity funds will be transferred to the respective council ORT bank accounts any time soon,” he said.
Santhe outlined six steps the councils were to undertake to ensure timely and prudent processing and disbursement of these gratuities to the councillors. They included preparing payment schedules that include the total number of years (period) served by each councillor and deducting any outstanding loans, advances, or other applicable recoveries.
Others were preparing payments on a pro-rata basis, ensuring payment is only made for the actual time one served and that all loans or advances recoveries should be supported by a general receipt (GR) issued to the payee.
Ministry of Local Government, National Unity and Culture director of local government services Douglas Mkweta, who met the councillors’ representatives last Tuesday, did not pick our calls on several attempts yesterday.
Meanwhile, Malga executive director Hadrod Mkandawire has said they understand the frustrations of the former councillors, and feel the frustrations are a result of reasonable expectations that the government raised on the matter.
In an interview, he said: “You may wish to know that the government assured the former councillors in writing that gratuity will be paid at the end of July 2025. This might be the cause of this frustration.
“However, the recent communication from both the DHRMD and NLGFC reinforces government’s commitment to resolve this matter. For this, we commend the government, and, respectfully request for an expedited process of transferring the funds to the local government authorities.”
The councillors’ term of office expired in July this year after a six-year tenure following the court-sanctioned fresh presidential election held in June 2020 that prolonged the tenure for both councillors and legislators by one year.
