Online Reporter
Mkhululi Ncube, Zimpapers Reporter
CIVIL servants attending the second edition of the Public Service Commission (PSC) Retirement Conference in Bulawayo have expressed concern over low salaries, exploitative interest rates from financial institutions and the loss of hard-earned investments to bogus land barons.
They said such issues threaten their ability to prepare adequately for retirement.
The three-day indaba, which attracted 2 500 delegates from across the country, sought to equip 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.”
Many delegates said that while financial literacy and empowerment training are important, the Government must first address poor working conditions.
A nurse from Inyathi, Matabeleland North, said preparing for retirement was impossible without a decent wage.
“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.
Another participant said civil servants were struggling to acquire affordable housing, yet land ownership was 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,” he said.
Others complained about being barred from importing commercial vehicles duty-free, limiting their ability to start small businesses that could cushion them after retirement.
Delegates also lamented losing their savings to bogus land developers, some of whom sold residential stands through payroll deductions processed by 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,” one participant said.
Concerns were also raised over the punitive interest rates charged by financial institutions, which workers said made it nearly impossible to access affordable credit.
“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,” said another delegate. Responding to the concerns, life skills expert Dr Kudzanai Vere cautioned against over-reliance on salaries.
“Salary will never be enough. You do not need a lot of money to start a business. There are many projects one can do that do not need too much money,” he said.
Entrepreneur and retired civil servant, Mr Mthokozisi Mabhena, who shared his success story, encouraged civil servants to consider starting projects in rural areas where start-up costs are lower than in cities. The conference panel also featured retirement expert, Mr Sebastian Zuze, Lieutenant Colonel Lettinah Moyo, a serving member of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces (ZDF) and the principal of Phangani Vocational Training Centre, Mr Hilton Moyo, who urged delegates to embrace entrepreneurship, financial discipline and community-based ventures as part of long-term planning.
