Former Guard Wins MK1.5 Million Settlement

A former security guard has received MK1.5 million in compensation for unpaid gratuity and employment benefits, following the intervention of the Legal Aid Bureau and the Industrial Relations Court (IRC) sitting in Zomba.

The guard, Bernadette Rasha, who worked for a Zomba-based organization from 2013 until her termination in November 2025, earned MK20,000 per month at the start of her employment. By the time her service ended, her salary had risen to MK250,000.

Although she did not contest the termination process, she lodged a complaint over unpaid gratuity, leave days, and holiday entitlements for the period 2015 to 2018. She further proceeded to fill an IRC form 1 before the Industrial Relations Court sitting at Zomba.

To have all the matters efficiently sorted, Rasha applied for legal aid. When granted, her case was handled by Senior Legal Aid Advocate Faith Sumani with assistance from Legal Aid Officer Andrew Phiri.

After the Legal Aid Bureau took up her case, negotiations with the employer resulted in an out-of-court settlement.

Under the agreement, the employer paid MK1.5 million, which was deposited into the Bureau’s Third-Party Account before being collected by Rasha. The settlement of the claims brought closure to years of unpaid entitlements.