Government gazettes new Funeral Expenses Reimbursement Order for workers

The Government has officially gazetted the Workers’ Compensation Funeral Expenses Reimbursement Order, 2025 under Statutory Instrument No. 69 of 2025, issued in accordance with Section 71(5) of the Workers’ Compensation Act No. 10 of 1999.

Labour and Social Security Minister, Brenda Tambatamba, said the new Statutory Instrument provided for the payment of funeral grants to dependents or persons who meet funeral expenses for a worker who dies as a result of an accident or occupational disease.

In a statement issued in Lusaka on Thursday by Ministry Principal Public Relations Officer Mwaka Ndawa, Tambatamba said the prescribed reimbursement amount has been set at 25,000 unit fees.

She said the measure demonstrates government’s continued efforts to modernize and strengthen the country’s social security and compensation systems.

“I wish to announce that I signed into law the Workers’ Compensation Statutory Instrument No. 69 of 2025 on Funeral Expenses Reimbursement, which was gazetted on Friday, 17th October, 2025. It reflects our dedication to ensuring that no family bears the burden of workplace tragedy alone,” Tambatamba said.

She explained that the Statutory Instrument ensured bereaved families of workers who die in the line of duty receive timely financial support to cover funeral expenses.

Tambatamba said the intervention aligned with the government’s broader goal of enhancing social security and strengthening support mechanisms through the Workers’ Compensation Fund Control Board (WCFCB).

“This progressive reform represents a new, humane approach to social security by the New Dawn Government; one that listens to the needs of workers rather than treating them as passive contributors,” she said.

The Minister added that through ongoing reforms, government is expanding social security coverage to include the informal sector, domestic workers, bus and taxi drivers, marketeers, and other informal workers who have long been excluded from traditional protection schemes.

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