Judith Phiri
Bulawayo Bureau
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 on Monday, after Government said it would pay the bonus.
The announcement comes after Finance Minister Professor Mthuli Ncube assured civil servants that Government would pay their bonuses.
In an interview on Saturday, Prof Ncube said Government remained committed to making the payments.
In its statement, the NJNC yesterday 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 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 noted that Treasury has approved a flat cushioning allowance for Government pensioners payable in December 2026.”
The NJNC committed to supporting the dissemination, implementation, monitoring and periodic review of the Public Service Occupational Safety and Health Policy.
The policy follows last month’s gazetting of the new Occupational Safety and Health Act which replaced and updated 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.
In an 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.
“We have even started paying bonuses even for our traditional chiefs, which has never happened since independence since 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.
