Harare Correspondent
HARARE – The government has dismissed calls for an urgent cost-of-living adjustment for civil servants, arguing that inflation remains stable and the local currency has shown resilience, despite growing discontent over low wages in the public sector.
Justice, Legal, and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi, who also serves as the leader of government business in Parliament, said current economic indicators do not justify an immediate salary review.
“There has not been a general increase in prices in this country. Statistics that we have on inflation do not indicate that. Even our currency is very stable, and prices have largely not risen to levels that we can say indicate a need for a cost-of-living adjustment,” Ziyambi told legislators.
His remarks come amid mounting pressure from civil servants, including teachers and nurses, who say their salaries have been rendered inadequate by soaring living costs, particularly in housing, transport, and food.
Labour unions have repeatedly urged the government to address wage disparities, with the Zimbabwe Confederation of Public Sector Trade Unions (ZCPSTU) warning that most civil servants now live below the poverty line.
However, Ziyambi maintained that salary discussions should remain within the Tripartite Negotiation Forum (TNF), which brings together government, labour, and business representatives.
“That is the legitimate forum we should use to negotiate salaries. We award salaries based on the outcome of those negotiations. Once concluded, an announcement will be made,” he said.
The TNF, designed to foster dialogue on socio-economic issues, has faced criticism in recent years for delays in reaching agreements, raising questions about its efficiency in addressing workers’ grievances.
As the debate continues, civil servants remain hopeful for a resolution, while the government insists on a structured approach through established negotiation channels.
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