By Dhumisan Khumalo and Tawina Kuluweya

Mzuzu, April 11, Mana: Mzuzu University Academic Staff Union (MUASU) and Mzuzu University Non-Academic Staff Union (MUNASTU) on Friday conducted demonstrations, protesting against delays in processing their gratuities.

MUASU spokesperson Misheck Banda said the aim of the demonstrations is to urge President Lazarus Chakwera, who is chancellor for the university, to intervene and speed up the processes that are supposed to take place for the staff members to receive their gratuity.

"The danger of the delays in this tough economic environment is that the money is losing value. We are talking about the money that people have worked for, earned and deserved over a number of years of service to the university," said Banda.

He also added that the demonstrations are not to threaten the president, saying they are trusting that Chakwera is going to make sure that their concerns are going to be looked into.

"We believe that our chancellor will look at the merits of our argument and should ensure that the pay out letters should be issued by 18 April and the actual payment to be made by 30 April.

“We have indicated in our memo that unspecified action might be taken by the union if the requests will not be met," Banda added.

A district council secretariat official, Mercy Ghambi, who received the petition on behalf of the District Commissioner, assured the demonstrators that their petition will be forwarded to the chancellor.

"I will forward the petition to the District Commissioner and he will send them to the Chancellor of Mzuzu University, who is also the state president, Dr. Lazarus Chakwera," Ghambi said.

She however congratulated MUASU and MUNASTU for holding peaceful demonstrations.