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Bulawayo Bureau
TREASURY is expected to adjust civil servants’ salaries in line with the prevailing economic environment in the coming days, a Cabinet minister said yesterday.

In an interview, Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare Minister Dr Sekai Nzenza said President Mnangagwa was concerned about the livelihoods of civil servants hence Government’s intervention.

Salaries of most workers in the country have been eroded by wanton increases in the prices of goods and services.

Dr Nzenza said the Minister of Finance and Economic Development Professor Mthuli Ncube will announce a civil servants salary hike in the coming days.

“At this stage the Minister of Finance is looking at it (salary increase). He would be making an announcement in the next few days. I can’t give you the exact date because he has to do the figures. But he would be looking at that in light of the current situation. We know it’s not easy; this is why we are looking at the cost of living adjustment,” said Minister Nzenza.

“You’ll remember that from January to March we gave them cushioning allowance and then there was the cost of living adjustment. But we realised that the economy is not doing good and people are hurting because of prices and we have now once again been talking to the Minister of Finance and he is seriously looking at it and at the same time the President is very concerned.”

Government in April announced a $400 million cost of living adjustment package for civil servants which saw the lowest-paid employee taking home over.

This was part of Government’s move to cushion its workers from the obtaining economic challenges.

President Mnangagwa, Prof Ncube and then acting Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare Minister Monica Mutsvangwa on Friday met nurses unions to discuss their welfare resulting in them calling off a scheduled strike.

Zimbabwe Teachers’ Association (Zimta) chief executive officer Mr Sifiso Ndlovu yesterday expressed confidence that there is going to be a review of the civil servants salaries.

“There is definitely going to be a review of the salaries,” said Mr Ndlovu.

He said teachers are failing to meet their financial obligations and Government has admitted and indicated that it will address the issue.