Govt to Compensate K15 Million to Each of 61 Bereaved Families

The government has announced that each of the 61 families who lost loved ones in the March 3, 1959, independence struggle will receive K15 million in compensation.

Speaking at Martyrs’ Day commemorations in Nkhata Bay, Minister of Local Government, Unity, and Culture, Richard Chimwendo Banda, confirmed that families in the northern region have already received their payments, while those in the central and southern regions will be compensated this week.

President Lazarus Chakwera, who led the commemoration, said the best way to honor the martyrs is to uphold patriotism and selflessness, the values they died fighting for. He condemned politicians who incite youth violence and ADMARC officials allegedly colluding with vendors to exploit maize prices, calling such actions a betrayal of the nation’s principles.

Representative of the bereaved families, James Thawi, expressed gratitude to the government for the compensation and for President Chakwera’s continued presence at the commemorations.

In his sermon, Reverend Maxwell Mezuwa Banda of CCAP Livingstonia Synod urged Malawians to embrace unity and love, just as the martyrs did in their fight for the country’s freedom.

President Chakwera, alongside First Lady Monica Chakwera, led the wreath-laying ceremony at Kakumbi Cemetery, joined by top government and security officials.

This year’s Martyrs’ Day was commemorated under the theme, “The Martyrs: A Great Model of Patriotism.”