Brazzaville Mbongui draws hundreds
Retiring civil servants, dressed in faded uniforms or Sunday shirts, packed the yard of a modest house in Bacongo, Brazzaville, on 23 November. They had come to meet Uphrem Dave Mafoula, leader of the party Les Souverainistes, during the latest stop of his Mbongui Tour.
- Brazzaville Mbongui draws hundreds
- Pension arrears lay bare daily struggles
- Mafoula links dignity to regular payments
- Finance law changes and state stance
- Transfer-budget workers face unique delays
- Accountability requests stir legal debate
- Stories that humanise the statistics
- Pointe-Noire next on listening tour
- Experts see economic boost in payouts
- Growing hope for timely solutions
- How to follow your CRF dossier
The gathering focused on unpaid pensions at the Caisse de Retraite des Fonctionnaires, where some participants say they have waited almost fifty months for stipends. Mafoula opened the floor, letting retirees describe hospital bills, school fees and rent arrears that keep accumulating.
Pension arrears lay bare daily struggles
One former nurse confessed selling her only plot of land to buy insulin. A retired teacher whispered that his grandchildren have left school because textbooks are now beyond reach. Each testimony drew murmurs, then a chorus of ‘il faut tenir’, underscoring resilience despite hardship.
Addressing the crowd, Mafoula argued that the condition of retirees mirrors the moral health of a nation. He insisted the issue transcends party lines, noting that behind every pensioner stands an extended household whose purchasing power influences markets from market stalls to intercity buses.
He recalled that his Mbongui des Retraités initiative started after meeting a civil servant who sold his house to pay for heart surgery. ‘We talk about dignity,’ Mafoula said. ‘If we solve this, we strengthen families, and in turn, the broader economy.’
Mafoula links dignity to regular payments
At the end of the meeting, Mafoula pledged to send an open letter to President Denis Sassou Nguesso, asking for accelerated payment of at least four months of arrears before the next presidential election. He framed the gesture as humanitarian, not partisan.
Participants also discussed Law 45-2014 on retirement autonomy, adopted to guarantee regular pensions through dedicated budget lines. Several speakers maintained that strict application of this text, plus timely transfers from the Treasury, would ease the backlog without jeopardising other public spending.
Finance law changes and state stance
Officials from the Ministry of Finance, contacted after the forum, note that the 2023 and 2025 finance laws replaced the ‘complément retraite’ line with a broader social-debt envelope. According to a senior adviser, disbursements are made progressively as revenues allow, in accordance with cash-flow priorities.
The adviser stresses the government’s commitment to ‘leaving no vulnerable group behind’ and points to recent clearance of salary arrears in several ministries as proof of a step-by-step strategy. He says dialogue with pensioners’ associations continues through the Tripartite Social Concertation framework.
Transfer-budget workers face unique delays
Retirees from city halls, the University Hospital of Brazzaville and the National Public Health Laboratory raised a separate concern: their employers operate under transfer budgets, and unpaid contributions can delay first pensions for years. One man said he has waited since 2020 for his initial payment.
The CRF management has previously explained that files from such entities require reconciliation with Treasury statements before payments start. Administrative audits, they say, protect future retirees by ensuring accurate amounts. Yet for those already retired, each extra month without income deepens vulnerability.
Accountability requests stir legal debate
Some speakers urged an information inquiry into directors of the CRF and the National Social Security Fund, as well as line ministers, for alleged non-application of government instructions. Legal specialists present advised collecting certified evidence before any court action, highlighting the importance of due process.
Stories that humanise the statistics
Gérôme Ngoma, a former customs officer, applauded Mafoula for ‘coming to us instead of summoning us downtown’. He reminded the audience that many retirees served more than thirty years, often in remote districts. Their experience, he said, remains an untapped resource for community projects.
Throughout the discussion, volunteers projected photos of pensioners running side businesses: repairing radios, selling cassava, or tutoring. The slide show underlined that even without pensions, many elders keep supporting families and neighbourhoods, embodying what participants called ‘solidarité congolaise’ in everyday acts.
Pointe-Noire next on listening tour
The Mbongui Tour will travel next to Pointe-Noire, where port retirees face similar issues related to variable overtime calculations. Mafoula’s team says they will compile regional testimonies into a memorandum to be presented during upcoming social-dialogue days convened by the Prime Minister.
Experts see economic boost in payouts
Economist Rosalie Mabiala, interviewed by phone, believes settling arrears could inject fresh liquidity into local markets. ‘Retirees spend everything at home: food stalls, clinics, transport,’ she explains. ‘Payment shocks ripple fast.’ She also notes that clearer schedules would reassure current workers about the state’s social contract.
Growing hope for timely solutions
While frustration is palpable, several retirees left the meeting encouraged by the simple fact of being heard. As one attendee put it, ‘dialogue is the first step to solution’. Whether through Mafoula’s letter or ongoing government programmes, many now pin hopes on tangible progress before year-end.
How to follow your CRF dossier
For retirees seeking updates, the CRF reminds citizens that individual statements can be downloaded from its digital portal or collected at district agencies every Friday. Staffers advise bringing the latest life certificate and bank details to speed up eventual transfers and avoid dormant-account delays.
