By Takudzwa Tondoya
The Government is under mounting pressure to review civil servants’ salaries and benefits as inflation continues to chip away at their purchasing power.
During a heated session in Parliament on Wednesday, several MPs raised concerns about the deteriorating livelihoods of public sector workers questioning the government’s willingness to cushion them against economic hardships.
Leading the charge was Bulawayo North legislator Minenhle Gumede, asking what concrete policy measures were in place to adjust wages, improve cost-of-living allowances and enhance non-monetary benefits such as housing and medical care.
“What is Government doing to ensure our civil servants are not left behind?” asked Gumede
Responding on behalf of the Finance Ministry, Justice Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi insisted that Zimbabwe’s inflation levels do not yet warrant emergency adjustments.
“Statistics that we have on inflation do not indicate what he is saying. So, we largely have had, even our currency, a very stable currency and the prices have largely not risen to levels that we can say, indicate that we need a cost-of-living adjustment.
“However, what the Government has been doing is, we have a Tripartite Negotiation Forum where we are negotiating for the salaries of civil servants. That is the forum that we believe is the legitimate forum that we should use to negotiate for salaries and then we award salaries on the basis of the outcome of those negotiations,” Ziyambi said
However, opposition lawmakers quickly challenged the government’s position.
Mbizo legislator Corban Madzivanyika cited data from the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe’s January 2025 Monetary Policy Statement, showing that month-on-month inflation for the Zimbabwe Gold (ZiG) currency had risen from 9% to 13%, while USD inflation had jumped from 7% to 15%.
“Even a 7% change on a USD300 salary is significant to a struggling worker,” said Madzivanyika.
Gladys Hlatywayo added that the country’s public sector salaries were uncompetitive compared to regional counterparts, fuelling brain drain in critical sectors such as healthcare and education.
Despite the pressure, the Speaker ruled that detailed statistical comparisons and inflation analysis would require a written submission.
The Minister promised to provide a fuller response at a later date.
