By Suleman Chitera
Executive Director of the (CDEDI), , has urged government to harmonise the retirement age across Malawi’s public service, arguing that the current disparities are unfair and discriminatory.
Speaking on the matter, Namiwa noted that while most civil and public servants are required to retire at the age of 60, members of the judiciary — including judges of the High Court, Supreme Court of Appeal and magistrates — are allowed to serve until the age of 70.
According to Namiwa, the unequal application of retirement age policies undermines the principle of fairness in public administration.
“It is either government makes 70 the retirement age for everyone, or we all go back to 60. The disparity is not right,” said Namiwa.
The retirement age for judges was previously set at 65 but was revised upward to 70 in 2022 following constitutional and legislative changes. Authorities at the time justified the move by citing the need to retain experienced and highly skilled judges, as well as to address the growing backlog of cases in the courts.
However, Namiwa argues that these justifications should not apply selectively.
He maintains that many other sectors within the public service also rely heavily on experience and institutional memory, yet their employees are compelled to retire earlier despite being capable of continued service.
“If experience and expertise are the reasons for extending the retirement age in the judiciary, then the same logic should apply to other professionals in public service such as doctors, teachers, engineers and economists,” Namiwa said.
He further warned that maintaining different retirement ages creates perceptions of privilege and inequality, which can negatively affect morale among public servants.
Namiwa has since called on to review the current policy framework and engage stakeholders on establishing a uniform retirement age that is fair, transparent and sustainable.
The debate over retirement age continues to draw public attention as Malawi grapples with youth unemployment, public sector wage pressures and the need to balance experience with generational renewal in state institutions
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