375 prison warders owed K49.4m

Malawi Prison Service (MPS) is yet to pay outstanding training allowances totalling K49.4 million for 375 warders in a training cohort for October 2016 to April 2017.

The warders underwent a six-month mandatory training during which they were each entitled to K53 000 monthly stipend. However, they said they completed their training and got recruited but are yet to get their dues.

MPS spokesperson Chimwemwe Shaba confirmed that government owes 375 prison warders of intake 12 training allowance arrears.

He attributed the delay to pay the concerned officers their arrears to government’s new procedures. He said in the past the departments were able to process payments on their own.

Said Shaba: “Their claims are genuine and these arrears have been long overdue. The problem relates to procedures which now involve the National Audit Office. Sometimes, the National Audit is overwhelmed with issues from other departments.

“We present names to the National Audit to verify them physically. After completing their assessment and ascertaining that the claims are genuine, they issue a certificate and thereafter we take the certificate to the Accountant General to process payment.”

But representatives of the disgruntled prison warders said if their grievances are not addressed, all 375 prison warders will down their tools.

One of the prison warders, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said their problem is long overdue.

Said the warder: “We ask President Peter Mutharika to intervene. If they fail to give us our arrears, we will take appropriate action.”

The warder said MPS only paid some trainees two months’ allowances while others received allowances for four months, but many have not received allowances for the whole six-month period.