MEC drivers stage sit-in over unpaid allowances

Over 1 000 drivers deployed by Malawi Electoral Commission in Lilongwe have threatened not to report for electoral duties in various districts in the country if they will not be paid their allowances upfront.

The decision by the drivers threatens to compromise the forthcoming Tripartite Elections because they are key in transporting important election materials between all the district headquarters and various polling centres in the country.

A visit by The Nation at the PVHO premises in the capital, Lilongwe on Wednesday revealed that over a thousand vehicles which were supposed to have left the Capital City are still parked there, with some drivers playing bawo and others just chatting, to pass the hours away in their sit-in.

One of the drivers said they have been discussing the issue with MEC and government officials. The driver initially refused to be interviewed on the matter but later on, with the insistence of his friends, consented to open up, on condition that his full name is not mentioned.

He said: “I was instructed that this issue should not be made public before all the avenues have been exhausted. But since my friends say we can talk to you, then I will do so… We have been discussing this issue with the Malawi Electoral Commission and government officials since Monday and assurances were made that we will be given allowances before departure. But this is Wednesday and nothing is being done.”

He stated that the drivers cannot leave Lilongwe without allowances because they will not be able to pay for their food, accommodation and other incidentals in the field. He added that breadwinners, they need to leave part of the allowances with their wives, children and other family members.

“We are married people and we have responsibilities. So, why should someone send us to the field without money? We are ready to go and serve this government but we should be paid first. If we start off late then there will be chaos because some of these vehicles are going to Chitipa and Nsanje and have not been serviced for a while,” said Chiboda.

However, MEC Chief Elections Officer Willie Kalonga refused to comment on the matter saying that he is attending a funeral. He promised to call back but did not, until we went to bed.

MEC spokesperson Sangwani Mwafulirwa could not be pick up his phone despite several attempts to get comments from him on Tuesday.

According to some of the drivers, they have been promised to be given a K10 500 subsistence allowance per day but have not been told how many days they will be in the field.