NINE hundred and fifty (950) unpaid retirees have written to justice minister Given Lubinda, asking why the ministry has continued submitting their terminal benefits to Robson Malipenga and Company, which does not represent them.
In a letter dated April 23, 2020, Siachoke Simemeza, who is also representing 949 others, stated that despite a December 2019 High Court ruling which compelled the ministry to pay benefits through their respective lawyers, the permanent secretary at the ministry had continued doing the contrary.
“Sir, your attention is referred to the 2019 December payments, the Permanent Secretary called for a meeting for the lawyers and after solving the issues which arose and assured us through our lawyers, the Permanent Secretary (L&D) paid all the monies to Mr Robson Malipenga…” he stated in part.
“Sir, you called for the lawyers and resolved on how to proceed. Now your meeting and resolutions have been rendered academic and useless by the same Permanent Secretary (L&D), who has again left out other law firms, including our lawyers, M. Associates. In view of the above, our position and demand is for your good office to intervene and stop the corruption cancer at your Ministry and pay us our terminal benefits through the lawful law firm executing our instructions.”
Simemeza reminded Lubinda that he and his colleagues had no relationship with Robson Malipenga and Company.
“Sir, we have no further relationship with Robson Malipenga and his law firm. Sir, further, us the 950 retirees have issues with Robson Malipenga as at 9th January 2020, we are in court with [the] same said Robson Malipenga for accounting and inquiries for over K104m which GRZ paid him and he has not remitted to us and our movement from his law firm to Messrs M Associates was and is justified by the courts,” Simemeza stated.
“Further, if you wish, you can call just a few of 950 retirees as attached to confirm that from 2015, 8 per cent payment to date we have not received these monies from him despite GRZ releasing the money to him to pay us. Honourable Minister, it is shameful and seriously scandalous for your ministry you are in charge of, justice, to break the laws and defy the court of law orders with impunity in the name of Justice and the ministry whose primary duty is to protect the piece of legislations which is law and constitutions of Zambia plus, to ignore the outcry of the retirees, court orders and, and the court litigations against the same interest of justice and to go ahead continuing paying the same lawyer….”