President Hakainde Hichilema – HH has awarded a 20% salary increment to the constitutional court judges.
This is in comparison to the about 7 to 10% (K550 across the board) salary increments awarded to most government employees and civil servants for 2024.
The recent statutory instrument, number 34 of 2024, revealed that President Hichilema has elevated the Basic salary per annum for Constitutional Court Judges to over K420,800.
This marks an increase of about 20% from the previous Basic Salary per annum of K354,695 as of June 2023, as indicated in an earlier statutory instrument number 17 of 2023.
According to statutory instrument number 34 of 2024 seen by the Zambian Business Times – ZBT, President Hichilema also raised the Basic Salary per annum paid to Chief Justice Mumba Malila to over K511,500.
This move has however been questioned as it comes at a critical time of austerity for the nation as it grapples with the adverse effects of the prevailing drought conditions and some policy pitfalls.
President Hakainde Hichilema has also signed off and awarded salary increments to the Deputy Chief Justice, the President of the Constitutional Court, the Supreme Court judges, the Court of Appeal Judges, and the High Court Judges among many others.
The decision to boost the salaries for Judges amidst this challenging period has raised concerns as the country is grappling to find solutions and resources to deal with the current power crisis and generally tough economic conditions for the majority.
Critics argue that President Hichilema and his administration’s focus should be on addressing the pressing issues brought about by the drought, such as food insecurity and agricultural support.
They underscore the importance of prioritizing resources to alleviate the impact of the drought on the population and ensure the country’s resilience in the face of such challenges.
