President Mnangagwa Gifts Civil Servants EXTRA US$200 As Part Of ‘Presidential Bonus’
Civil servants will be laughing all the way to the bank this festive season after President Emmerson Mnangagwa pledged an extra US$200 as part of their bonus.
On top of the 13th cheque, civil servants will receive an additional US$200 as part of the Presidential Bonus this year.
Zimbabwe Public Sector Trade Unions secretary general David Dzatsunga told a local publication that the additional incentive was offered at the National Joint Negotiating Council meeting last Monday.
The council brings together government and public sector union representatives to the negotiating table.
A communique released after the meeting on Monday said an additional US$200 will be awarded to every civil servant as a special Presidential Bonus.
Dzatunga said President Emmerson Mnangagwa intervened after he realised the bonuses would not be adequate. He clarified that the Presidential Bonus will be paid over two months. In November, civil servants will receive US$100 then the other US$100 the following month.
Dzatunga said:Â The President intervened because we then realised the bonuses were not going to be quite meaningful without that US$200 and also to clarify that the presidential bonus will be paid in two tranches, half of that will be paid this month and the other half will be paid next month. This was done to make sure that everybody gets their money.
As a result of the Presidential Bonus, the lowest-paid civil servant according to Dzatunga, will receive US$250 with the highest potentially earning US$350. He said:Â So we are getting $200 plus a bit of what we were supposed to get as a bonus.
You will find that the lowest-paid civil servant will get a bonus of US$250 and then it goes up to about US$347 for the upper grade. Naturally, workers were appreciative of the extra money.
The government had indicated plans to introduce performance-based bonuses to civil servants but they scrapped the idea following pressure from unions.