By Hon. Sunday Chilufya Chanda, MP – Kanchibiya Constituency

Following the motion to reintroduce the debt swap for civil servants, I have continued to receive a wave of messages and calls regarding the status of the NAPSA lump sum motion. Many citizens are eager to understand the scope of the proposal and what it means for them and their retirement security.

I wish to inform those concerned that we have formally requested the National Assembly to revert the matter back to being a Private Member’s Motion, following communication that NAPSA intends to carry out amendments to the Act. While this development is welcome, we do not want to leave anything to chance. We want firm assurance that workers’ concerns, in particular, around the optional lump sum, will be addressed through legislation.

The motion, and not a private member’s amendment bill, is therefore being reintroduced to compel a clear and unequivocal government position. We will continue to update the workers across the country as the process unfolds.

The push for an optional NAPSA lump sum payment is not about seeking privilege, it is about demanding fairness, flexibility, and the right to make informed decisions about one’s hard-earned retirement savings. Too many retirees, particularly in rural and underserved areas, are sinking into destitution, denied the opportunity to live their final years in dignity.

This reform would allow workers, upon reaching retirement age, to opt into a lump sum withdrawal of a portion of their pension. Whether to meet urgent needs, invest in livelihoods, or secure long-term peace of mind, the choice should rest with the retiree.

Across Zambia, many retirees live in poverty, debt, and despair, despite having contributed faithfully to the National Pension Scheme throughout their working lives. Some of the challenges they face include:

For far too many, retirement has become a sentence, not a reward.

Offering a voluntary lump sum withdrawal restores retirees’ dignity and helps prevent descent into destitution. This is not about dismantling the pension system, it is about infusing it with compassion, flexibility, and practicality.

There are heartbreaking stories across the country of retired men and women:

We must ask ourselves: What kind of country do we want to be? One that honours service, or one that punishes it with silence and suffering?

To ensure sustainability and protect both the system and the retiree, the proposed model includes:

This proposal aligns with national priorities:

• (c) , particularly in rural constituencies where state presence is minimal

There are several Members of Parliament, across party lines, who are committed to ensuring that the voice of the Zambian worker is heard, respected, and brought to the floor of Parliament. This is not just a policy matter, it is our moral obligation. Workers across all 156 constituencies have dedicated their lives to service; they deserve more than bureaucratic delays and inadequate payments at the end of that journey.

To all workers who have been in touch and concerned: remain calm, but stay alert. Keep calling, writing to, and engaging your elected representatives. Let them hear your voices, and let them be reminded that your pension is not a favour, it is your right, it is your money.

This is about how you live after you stop working—not to beg, but to build, rest, and live with dignity.

Let’s keep talking.

Hon. Sunday Chilufya Chanda
Member of Parliament, Kanchibiya Constituency
An Advocate for disciplined, democratic leadership with a human face.