News / National
Zimbabwe civil servants press for improved salaries
2 hrs ago | 8 Views
Civil servants attending the second edition of the Public Service Commission (PSC) Retirement Conference in Bulawayo have raised concerns over low salaries, exploitative interest rates, and the loss of investments to fraudulent land developers, warning that these challenges threaten their ability to prepare adequately for retirement.
The three-day conference, which drew 2,500 delegates from across the country, focused on equipping workers with practical skills for life after work under the theme "Practical Preparedness and Empowering Your Next Chapter: Building Essential Life Skills to Thrive in Retirement."
Delegates highlighted that while financial literacy and empowerment training are important, government action is needed to improve working conditions. A nurse from Inyathi, Matabeleland North, stressed that meaningful retirement planning is impossible without adequate pay. "For us to prepare for retirement, we need our employer to start by giving us a remuneration that will enable us to have a spare US$100. You cannot expect us to spare that for a project when our salaries are not enough to take care of our needs," she said.
Other participants pointed to challenges in accessing affordable housing, noting that land ownership is central to their security. "The Government can give us land so that we can build ourselves low-income houses. We do have plans, but what we do not have are the means to get ourselves going," one delegate said. Concerns were also raised over restrictions on importing commercial vehicles duty-free, limiting opportunities to start small businesses that could cushion workers after retirement.
Delegates lamented losing savings to bogus land developers, some of whom sold residential stands through payroll deductions via the Salary Services Bureau. "We lost our money through the Salary Services Bureau while paying for stands. The Government must assist us to get the money back or at least recover our stands," a participant said. Others criticized punitive interest rates from financial institutions, saying they make accessing affordable credit nearly impossible. "The interest that they are charging is rather too much. It worsens the situation for anyone who would have taken a loan. We need a retirement policy that regulates the financial sector. There must be a cap to the interest levels," one delegate added.
Responding to the concerns, life skills expert Dr Kudzanai Vere cautioned against over-reliance on salaries, noting that small-scale projects can be started with minimal capital. Entrepreneur and retired civil servant Mr Mthokozisi Mabhena encouraged civil servants to explore business opportunities in rural areas, where start-up costs are lower than in urban centers.
The conference panel, which included retirement expert Mr Sebastian Zuze, Lieutenant Colonel Lettinah Moyo of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces, and Phangani Vocational Training Centre principal Mr Hilton Moyo, urged delegates to embrace entrepreneurship, financial discipline, and community-based ventures as essential components of long-term retirement planning.
The three-day conference, which drew 2,500 delegates from across the country, focused on equipping workers with practical skills for life after work under the theme "Practical Preparedness and Empowering Your Next Chapter: Building Essential Life Skills to Thrive in Retirement."
Delegates highlighted that while financial literacy and empowerment training are important, government action is needed to improve working conditions. A nurse from Inyathi, Matabeleland North, stressed that meaningful retirement planning is impossible without adequate pay. "For us to prepare for retirement, we need our employer to start by giving us a remuneration that will enable us to have a spare US$100. You cannot expect us to spare that for a project when our salaries are not enough to take care of our needs," she said.
Other participants pointed to challenges in accessing affordable housing, noting that land ownership is central to their security. "The Government can give us land so that we can build ourselves low-income houses. We do have plans, but what we do not have are the means to get ourselves going," one delegate said. Concerns were also raised over restrictions on importing commercial vehicles duty-free, limiting opportunities to start small businesses that could cushion workers after retirement.
Delegates lamented losing savings to bogus land developers, some of whom sold residential stands through payroll deductions via the Salary Services Bureau. "We lost our money through the Salary Services Bureau while paying for stands. The Government must assist us to get the money back or at least recover our stands," a participant said. Others criticized punitive interest rates from financial institutions, saying they make accessing affordable credit nearly impossible. "The interest that they are charging is rather too much. It worsens the situation for anyone who would have taken a loan. We need a retirement policy that regulates the financial sector. There must be a cap to the interest levels," one delegate added.
Responding to the concerns, life skills expert Dr Kudzanai Vere cautioned against over-reliance on salaries, noting that small-scale projects can be started with minimal capital. Entrepreneur and retired civil servant Mr Mthokozisi Mabhena encouraged civil servants to explore business opportunities in rural areas, where start-up costs are lower than in urban centers.
The conference panel, which included retirement expert Mr Sebastian Zuze, Lieutenant Colonel Lettinah Moyo of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces, and Phangani Vocational Training Centre principal Mr Hilton Moyo, urged delegates to embrace entrepreneurship, financial discipline, and community-based ventures as essential components of long-term retirement planning.
Source - The Chronicle
Join the discussion
Loading comments…
