SESTUZ DEMANDS PENSION REFORMS FOR TEACHERS

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Posted by admin on April 24, 2026 at 2:48 AM

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The Secondary School Teachers’ Union of Zambia (SESTUZ) has renewed calls for urgent pension reforms, insisting that teachers deserve lump-sum benefits upon retirement.

SESTUZ Secretary General Anthony Mukanda raised concern over the current framework under the National Pension Scheme Authority (NAPSA), which only provides monthly annuities for contributors employed after 2000.

He said the union has consistently challenged this arrangement, arguing that it disadvantages teachers compared to other public service workers.

Mukanda highlighted disparities in the system, noting that uniformed personnel under the Ministry of Home Affairs contribute to the Public Service Pensions Fund (PSPF), which guarantees lump-sum payments regardless of employment date.

“We have been advocating for reforms to ensure that teachers also benefit from lump-sum payments at retirement. Monthly annuities limit financial flexibility and often contribute to hardship among retirees,” Mukanda said.

He dismissed claims that retirees misuse lump-sum payments, stressing that such assertions lack empirical evidence and require proper research.

Following the tabling of pension reform proposals before Parliament, SESTUZ has intensified calls for the process to be expedited, urging Government to align teachers’ benefits with those of other public service workers.