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{
    "id": 548758,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/548758/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 422,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. (Ms.) Kedogo",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 1126,
        "legal_name": "Dorcas Luvalitsa Kedogo",
        "slug": "dorcas-luvalitsa-kedogo"
    },
    "content": "Thank you, hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker. I want to congratulate the retired teachers’ lawyer, Mr. Kimata, for standing firm. He stood with the retired teachers in the fight for their dues, just as the Departmental Committee on Education, Research and Technology has done. It is high time the retired teachers got their dues. They have waited for 18 years. Many of them have already passed on. Most of those who are still alive cannot even educate their children or take care of their homes. They have been looking forward to getting the money but they have not gotten it up to date. Knowing that teachers are paid peanuts, the money that they were claiming was very special to them. During our Committee sittings, we would call the Attorney-General but he would not attend. He used to play a hide-and-seek game with the Committee. He was trying to block the payment of the dues – which was very bad. Given that he was standing in for the Government, if he was told not to do the right thing, then the Government was not interested in looking into the issues affecting the retired teachers. Therefore, we are telling the Attorney-General to make sure that the retired teachers get their dues. He is the one who is supposed to give an okay to the National Treasury to pay. In addition to that, the performance of the Pensions Department within the National Treasury itself is wanting. Some teachers who retired in 2009, 2010 and 2012 have not got their pension; leave alone those who retired in 1997. We are wondering whether there are no officers at Bima House. The Government should look into this issue. Why do they take so long to give teachers their pension? Even those who are on pension get their monthly payments even two weeks after the end of the month. Therefore, the Attorney-General should not play a hide-and-seek game. Promotions at the TSC should be done on merit. The High Court has approved the payment of the teachers’ dues. Who is the Attorney-General to block them from getting paid? It is high time the retired teachers were paid their money. They have suffered. Some of them have died, while some are not able to pay school fees for their children. Their children are at home just because a few people have blocked their payments. The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor."
}