Zimpapers Logo

Dr Gandawa

Bulawayo Bureau
LECTURERS and staff at grant-aided institutions will get their 2015 bonuses tomorrow while the rest of the civil servants smiled to the bank after Government moved their June pay date from today to yesterday.

Government had promised to pay the 2015 bonuses to civil servants in grant-aided institutions on June 3, but moved the date due to financial challenges.

Higher and Tertiary Education, Science and Technology Development Deputy Minister Dr Godfrey Gandawa yesterday confirmed that staff under grant-aided institutions will get bonuses tomorrow.

He said: “The Ministry of Finance informed us the 2015 bonuses for the university staff will be paid on Friday.”

Apex Council president Mrs Cecilia Alexander on Monday said Government will soon announce the pay dates for the month of July.

In a statement, Minister of Finance and Economic Development Patrick Chinamasa said the pensioners pay date for the month of June remains unchanged.

“Treasury advises that the June 2016 salary payment date for the rest of the civil service is being moved from July 14, 2016 as previously advised to July 13, 2016.

“Furthermore, pension obligations for the month of June 2016, are being paid on July 19, 2016, while the salary payment date for staff under grant aided institutions is July 21, 2016,” said Minister Chinamasa.

Civil servants who spoke to our Bulawayo Bureau yesterday confirmed that their salaries started reflecting in their bank accounts yesterday morning.

Last month, Government announced new pay dates for civil servants, with some dates being moved to this month.

Minister Chinamasa said the movement of pay dates was due to revenue challenges affecting Government.

Members of the Zimbabwe National Army were paid on June 27, followed by police and prison officers on June 30.

The education sector was paid on July 7, while doctors and nurses got their salaries on July 8 instead of July 14 as had been earlier announced.

This was after President Mugabe intervened in the salary standoff between civil servants and Government last week.

He ordered responsible ministers to work flat out to ensure that critical departments such as the health sector receive their salaries in the shortest period possible.

President Mugabe said Zimbabwe was faced with an array of challenges that ranged from illegal sanctions imposed on the country by the United States and the European Union.

He said the other challenge was drought and as well as using multi-currency system, mainly the US dollar that the country had little control over.

He urged the civil servants to be patient and said Government will strive to ensure that the problem of delays in salary payments is addressed.