…ends housing allowances for junior soldiers
…no adequate houses in the barracks
High earners in the Malawi Defence Force are being moved from military bases, and low earners are forced back in to have their housing allowances forfeited, a decision mooted by top military brass that has angered junior ranks.
Soldiers in the grade of Private soldier to Lance Corporal- cheered their Commander-In-Chief, President Lazarus Chakwera, when they received a 300% increment from a K50,000 monthly housing allowance to K200,000.
The new allowances were short-lived- only paid in May and June. Now, they are being withdrawn.
Platoon leaders of different units informed soldiers across the country that they were all required to move back into barracks, and they would no longer be paid the K50,000 or the new rate of K200,000 housing allowances.
The catch is that their immediate seniors- including warrant officers of all categories- are encouraged to move out and rent outside military establishments and will continue earning housing allowances.
A confidential document The Investigator Magazine has accessed indicates adjustments of allowances across board that would be effective from 1 July 2024 which include housing allowances for lover ranks.
The document is clear, “MDF Other Ranks of the Rank of Pte (Private) and L/Copl (Lance Corporal) shall not be entitled to House Allowances. Other Ranks occupying leased houses shall not be entitled or permitted to leave the leased houses for rented houses in order to benefit the House Allowance. No one shall be paid House Allowance if he opts for rented house when vacant houses are available in the barracks or cantonment.”
The military brass, however, proposes new rates for Corporals, from K50,000 to K200,000 per month and for sergeants, staff sergeants, warrant officers class II, and warrant officers class 1, from K80,000 per month to K300,000, K350,000, K400,000, and K500,000, respectively.
The only equal pay is the adjustment of field allowances from K1000 to K3000 per day. However, Other Ranks won’t draw allowances when training or doing exercises. Ration Allowances have been adjusted from K20 000 to K80 000 for full and half from 15000 to K60 000.00.
Save for private soldiers, whose rate will remain at K25 000, and subsistence allowances will be adjusted from the uniform rate of K25,000 to K30,000 (lance corporal), K35,000 for corporals, while sergeants, staff sergeants and warrant officer class II will now get K40,000, K45,000 and K50,000 per day respectively while warrant officer class 1 will now pocket K60,000 per day.
Other adjustments include leave grants, external travel allowances, fully funded external travel, uniform upkeep allowances, and overseas student allowances. Our website has a full list.
Several soldiers, speaking on behalf of their colleagues have called the decision “repressive, reckless and display of greed” saying only military discipline is preventing soldiers from open protests of repressive decisions the military top command has been making.
While pretending to save money by cutting housing allowances for juniors, the MDF top command has bought new Toyota VX’s and Prados for its senior officials, engaged in expensive contracts and travel, leaving juniors getting angry each passing day.
“It doesn’t make sense that they want to punish us and keep the same for themselves. We couldn’t get houses inside the barracks. When new units are built, they don’t give them to us; they share. We are renting better houses and settled with our families now they abruptly want to punish us again and again,” said one of the soldiers who contacted us.
The soldiers claim they have been victims of much maladministration within the military establishment, but nobody can speak for fear of reprisals.
“Already those that have been going to DRC for peace missions their money was mysteriously cut and nobody has explained who gets the money. The UN pays for everything. We have greedy top bosses here,” wrote another to The Investigator Magazine. It is not known if they do have insurance under the new SADC mission to the DRC and those injured are yet to receive compensation.
“They stopped new soldiers from going to school until they finish three years, instead of allowing them to upgrade quickly some people felt threatened. Everything in this Army is different; the morale is always low, and now the little we were saving will be taken away from this month. How heartless can our bosses be,” said another.
The soldiers, from entry-grade private soldiers to lance corporal grades, cheered their Commander In Chief, President Lazarus Chakwera’s concern for their welfare when, in May this year, their housing allowance rose from K50,000 to K200,000.
A senior military official not authorised to talk said communication had been verbal, but letters would be sent to explain the changes. He said soldiers are supposed to be accommodated inside barracks, not outside. He said building more houses for the military would save considerable costs in the long term.
In 1992, low-ranking soldiers from the Malawi Army moved in to disarm a paramilitary wing of the ruling MCP. This later forced senior officials out of office and allowed them to choose their own commander.
