Staff ReporterThe Zimbabwean government has confirmed plans to grant year-end bonuses to all civil servants and pensioners, a practice typically observed in November and December. This year, bonuses will be performance-based, a policy introduced earlier. Similar to the previous year, these bonuses will be distributed in two phases across November and December.
Notably, the bonus scheme has been extended to include traditional chiefs, headmen, village heads, and their messengers. According to a letter from the Treasury to the Public Service Commission, these leaders and their assistants will receive a 13th cheque. The finance secretary, George Guvamatanga, outlined the bonus structure, which includes a 100% bonus on pensionable earnings (basic salary, service allowance, and administration allowance) in local currency for those in grades B to E, and a flat US$300 for the same grades payable in hard currency.
Chiefs are set to receive a US$300 bonus plus an additional amount in local currency, while their messengers will get US$100. Pensioners are also included in the annual bonus scheme. To manage cash flow, these bonuses will be paid in two equal installments in November and December 2023, concurrently with monthly salaries. Civil servants, whose salaries are predominantly in local currency, also receive a monthly allowance of US$300.
