Govt Extends K15 Million Consolation to Each Family of Malawi’s 1959 Martyrs

The Minister of Local Government, Unity, and Culture, Richard Chimwendo Banda, has assured that the process of disbursing the K15 million consolation package per family will be finalized on Thursday this week. So far, 31 families have already received the funds, while the remaining beneficiaries from the Southern and Central Regions are set to be paid this week. All families from the Northern Region have already been compensated.

Since 2005, the families of those who sacrificed their lives for Malawi’s independence have been pleading for compensation, many of them living in deep poverty despite their relatives’ heroic contributions.

However, President Lazarus Chakwera clarified that while the government acknowledges their suffering, it was not Malawi that took the lives of the martyrs, but the colonial British government.

As such, he stated, Malawi can offer consolation (chipepeso), but there is no legal framework that would justify full financial compensation from the Malawian government.

In a significant move, President Chakwera has directed the Minister of Justice to initiate a process of engaging the UK government on the possibility of compensating the families of the martyrs. This directive signals Malawi’s intent to seek historical justice for those who gave their lives in the fight for independence.

Chimwendo Banda has since confirmed that the K15 million consolation package per family will be disbursed in full by Thursday this week. The Minister further emphasized President Chakwera’s deep commitment to honoring Malawi’s martyrs, noting that this marks the ninth time Chakwera has personally attended the memorial—both as Leader of the Opposition and now as Head of State.

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