Judith Phiri, [email protected]
CIVIL servants will receive their 2026 annual bonuses in two equal instalments in November and December, while Government pensioners are set to receive a cushioning allowance next month.
The National Joint Negotiating Council (NJNC) announced the payment arrangements in a statement yesterday, reaffirming Government’s commitment to meeting its annual bonus obligations.
The announcement comes after Finance Minister Professor Mthuli Ncube assured civil servants that Government would pay their bonuses without difficulty.
In an interview with this publication on Saturday, Prof Ncube said Government remained committed to honouring the payments.
In its statement, the NJNC said it had met on November 2, 2026 at Kaguvi Building in Harare, where it also agreed to formally adopt the Public Service Occupational Safety and Health Policy.
“The payment modalities for the 2026 Annual Bonus for members of the Public Service are as follows: Grades A to D bonus will be calculated at 100 percent pensionable emoluments (basic salary, in-service allowance and administration allowance),” read part of the statement.
“Payment will be staggered in two equal instalments, 50 percent will be paid in November 2026 and the remaining 50 percent will be paid in December 2026. The NJNC also noted that Treasury has approved a flat cushioning allowance for Government Pensioners payable in December 2026.”
The NJNC also committed to supporting the dissemination, implementation, monitoring and periodic review of the Public Service Occupational Safety and Health Policy.
The policy, which was gazetted last year, replaced older legislation, including the Factories and Works Act and the Pneumoconiosis Act.
It seeks to reduce workplace injuries, diseases and fatalities across sectors and provides workers with the right to refuse work that poses imminent danger without fear of punishment or dismissal.
Meanwhile, in his interview, Prof Ncube said Government had also extended annual bonus payments to traditional chiefs from last year in recognition of their role in communities.
He described the inclusion of traditional leaders in the bonus programme as a significant development, saying they had not received such payments since independence in 1980.
“We have even started paying bonuses even for our traditional chiefs, which has never happened since independence in 1980.
“We also recognise the good work that they do and we were able to cover them as well. But civil servants’ bonuses, we are going to pay those,” he said.
