Zimbabwe civil servants to start getting bonuses

CIVIL servants will start receiving the 13th cheque this month, the Minister of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare Professor Paul Mavima has said.

However, heads of Government departments who signed performance contracts will not receive their bonuses if they fail to meet their targets.

Last year, Government introduced performance-based contracts for Cabinet Ministers, permanent secretaries, directors and other heads of public entities including local authority chief executives and town clerks to promote accountability.

The public officials are expected to meet set targets as they are expected to drive President Mnangagwa's vision of transforming the country into an upper middle-income economy by 2030.

President Mnangagwa's administration has been improving the livelihoods of civil servants through salary increases and is now focused on provision of affordable houses, cheap transport and regular reviews of earnings.

In an interview yesterday, Prof Mavima said qualifying civil servants will start getting their bonuses this month.

He said those who fall under performance contract bands will only receive bonuses if they meet the grade as Government is doing performance evaluations.

"Yes, they will get bonuses starting in November. The civil servants who performed well as per the performance-based contracts they signed will be part of those who will start receiving the 13th cheque this month," said Prof Mavima.

He said the Public Service Commission (PSC) administers the contracts which were signed at the beginning of the year.

"So the bonuses are, however, based on those performance contracts for Cabinet Ministers, permanent secretaries and directors. The performance indicators are clear," said Prof Mavima.

Zimbabwe Confederation of Public Sector Trade Unions (ZCPSTU) president Mrs Cecilia Alexander, said during the last National Joint Negotiating Council (NJNC) meeting it was agreed that bonuses will be paid from the deputy director downwards.

"For directors upwards, it will be performance-based, but from deputy directors downwards, we indicated that everyone should get the bonus. This is what we tabled at the last NJNC meeting," she said.

Mrs Alexander said Government had also paid civil servants the 25 percent salary increase it promised during the last meeting.

"So whatever is being said in the social media about the Government not honouring its pledges is not true because we received the 25 percent salary increase," she said.

Addressing educationists from Matabeleland region during a dissemination workshop on the Education Sector Strategic Plan (ESSP) 2021-2025 and Education Amendment Act in Bulawayo recently, Primary and Secondary Education permanent secretary Mrs Tumisang Thabela said all senior civil servants will have to justify why they have to be paid bonuses considering the performance contracts that they signed.

"We received notification (from the employer) that beginning 2022 everyone, director and above will not get a bonus automatically. If you are a director or grade above, you are going to be assessed according to your performance and be given a performance bonus if you deserve it," said Mrs Thabela.

She said according to the Government circular senior employees who have failed to meet targets will not be paid bonuses.

"If you don't meet the targets which you set yourself together with your supervisor, which met the minimum expectations, then you might have to go and tell your children this year that there is no bonus starting with your permanent secretary. So, the only people who are safe are from deputy director or acting deputy director," she said.

Since President Mnangagwa came into power in November 2017, Government has shown commitment to improve the welfare of its workforce.