Ministerial Statement: Conditions of service for civil servants

HON. PROF. MAVIMA: Let me restart Mr Speaker Sir. This statement is in response to issues raised during Question Time regarding conditions of service for the Public Service and also there was a request for information on staffing levels in the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education. Consequent to those requests below is a chronology of how the Government has endeavoured to address these questions.

In its endeavour to improve the conditions of service for civil servants, Government in the 2020 financial year put in place various wage improvements strategies that are highlighted below. First in 2020 Government awarded an average increase of 140% on total package, basic salary, transport, housing and representation where possible, effective January 2020 resulting in the following wage improvements. As of August 2019, principal officers who fall in the E3 grade were getting $1384. After this increment of January 2020, they were getting $3771.  Degreed officers who are in D3 were getting $1291 in August 2019 and in January 2020 they went to $3171. Diploma holders in D1 were getting $1265 and they went up to $3108. Certificate holders who fall in C5 were getting $1168 and they went to $2733 in January 2020. Office orderlies (B1) which is the entry-level in Government were getting $1045 and they went up to $2500 in January 2020.

 Secondly, an increase of 50% cost of living adjustment was effected on 1 June 2020 resulting in the following wage improvements and please note that effective 1 June 2020 a non-taxable US$75 COVID-19 allowance was introduced and was paid concurrently with these monthly salaries after converting it to the prevailing auction-rate which translated to an extra income of $6100 per month across the board. The grade E3 of principal officers which was at $3771 went up to $5656 then you can add the $6100 which was the COVID allowance. D3 grade went from $3171 to $4755 and again with additional COVID allowance. The D1 went from $3101 to $4661. The certificate grade (C5) went from $2733 to $4100. The office orderly grade went from $2500 to $3749.  A further increase of 40% increase adjustment was effected on 1 September 2020 again raising the grades across the board. The COVID allowance was also continued. Whatever amounts were obtaining at this point we would also add the US$75 COVID allowance converted to Z$ at the auction rate. E3 were to $7919 at that stage. D3 went to $6657. D1 went to $6526. C5 went to $5739 and office orderly $5249.

An average increase of 60% to 98% on total package was effected on 1 November 2020. Different percentage increases because of age resulting in wage improvements and this agreement was signed with workers in November 2020. By the way, the January one was also signed with the representatives of workers. After November the package for E3 went to $15680. D3 package went to $13181, D1 package went to $12921. C5 package went to $9183 and the basic salary went to $8399. Again on all these basic packages you would add the COVID-19 allowance which has continued.

 In the year 2021 there has been a cost of living adjustment of 25% effective 1^st April 2021. What this has done to the basic packages is that the E3 is now at $19600, D3 is now at $16477, D1 is now $16151, C5 is at $11479 and the basic entry which is you office orderly is at $10496. To these one should add the US$75 COVID allowance which has continued. Further to the 25% that was effected on 1 April 2021 Government has offered an increment of not less than 45% with effect from 1 July 2021. This is going to be effected on 1 July 2021.

In addition to these salary increments there are a number of non monetary incentives that Government has instituted. Over and above the monetary benefit highlighted, Government through the Public Service Commission also put in place a number of non-monetary incentives or benefits. 

1. Government Employees Mutual Savings Fund popularly known as GEMS which was operationalised in February 2021. Civil servants will access affordable loans for various developmental needs. For example, building residential accommodation for themselves, for farming and starting small businesses. 

2. Solar Power Loan Scheme which is being introduced and engagement with Treasury for release of funds is ongoing. Plans are underway to carry out study visits in other countries for competitive business modelling. 

3. Government is and will continue to pay its dues to PSMAS in time so that the civil servants can access quality and reasonable health benefits from the medical insurance. 

4. Government in October 2020 reviewed the Funeral Assistance from at that particular point in time RTGs700 to US$500 to all civil servants and all pensioners.  This will assist members in time of bereavement.  This is payable at the prevailing auction rate. 

5. The Rebate on Duty Scheme wherein civil servants will be exempted from paying duty upon importation of personal vehicles was operationalised and a total of 2535 members of the public service have since benefitted through the waiver of rebate on duty on vehicle schemes.  The facility will continue until the end of June 2021. 

6. Government also introduced Employer Liability Insurance Cover to cater for those who contracted COVID-19 whilst in the course of their duties.  This insurance was made in terms of their levels within the hierarchy of Government with directors and equivalent and above levels being paid US$1000 and deputy directors and lower levels being paid US$650 equivalent.  Further, Government would pay shortfalls arising from the treatment of the member if one becomes sick due to COVID-19 and sick leave of 90 days has been waived to 180 days on full pay in the event that the member takes long to recover if sick from COVID-19.  Government will continue to honour this facility as long as the pandemic is still with us. 

7. Government is working on the Provision of Low Cost Housing to civil servants and various consultations are ongoing in order to operationalise the various schemes. 

8.  There is also Subsidised Transport Facility for Civil Servants.  The Public Service Commission is also working on a facility to ferry civil servants on outlying districts on pay days to growth points of rural service centres to facilitate their shopping and access to other services. 

9. Government has resuscitated and introduced Sector Specific Allowances in various sectors and suffice to say the work is ongoing and various consultations are taking place with regards to this issue in order to motivate and retain civil servants.

In short, Government is trying its best to better the civil servants’ conditions of service and livelihoods both through monetary and non- monetary benefits.  Further to this, the avenue for negotiations through the National Joint Negotiating Council remains open and negotiations are ongoing. 

Let me add Mr. Speaker Sir, that like many other countries, it is a modern bureaucracy which operates on the principle of lifelong commitment.  Most of our civil servants are in it for life and if you want them to perform and not shrink on their responsibility, you have within the power of Government, to compensate them in ways that are commensurate with the motivation that you want to achieve and also with the aim of not having them shrink on their responsibilities or engage in corrupt activities simply because they want to achieve a livelihood. 

So, we fully understand the obligations that we have as a Government in providing sufficient compensation to civil servants. What might limit Government is the fiscal space that we have.  We have to balance between paying out in terms of wages and salaries and other benefits and the overall developmental programme of Government.  There was a time when this Government was using upwards of 90% for salaries and leaving very little for other developmental programmes.  At this particular point in time, a conscious decision has been made to raise resources for infrastructure development and the evidence is there for you to see and that is what Government is doing even as it commits to continuously improve on the wages and salaries and other benefits for civil servants.

Let me now move to the issue pertaining to staffing levels in schools especially by the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education.  This House also requested information pertaining to staffing levels in schools run by the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education.  Suffice to say that apart from trust schools, it is the Government of Zimbabwe that pays all the teachers in this country, including those in local authority schools, central government schools and indeed all teachers in ‘not for profit organisation’ including church schools are all paid by Government. 

According to the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education, we currently have an establishment of 136189 teaching staff in the Ministry.  Additionally, there are other 4000 staffers in that Ministry.  So, this includes your head office staff, your provincial office staff, your district office staff, all these and other general hand staff that are paid by Government.  In total, the establishment of the Ministry is 140 589.  This Ministry is the largest contributor to the civil service.  In 2020, the Ministry was authorised to recruit 11 thousand teachers.  In January 2020, they were authorised to recruit 2 700 and this was achieved in that particular month.  In June 2020, they were authorised to 2 300 and this was achieved.  In September 2020, they were authorised to recruit 3 000 and this was achieved.  In April 2021, they have been authorised to recruit another 3 000 and this is pending.  This is the process that they are undertaking now.  The figure of 11 000 from the beginning of 2020 up to the current recruitment that they are undertaking will be achieved once the 3000 that are currently being recruited has been finalised.  It will enable the Ministry to reach its authorised teaching staff establishment of 136 189.  However, this total number still falls short of the requisite teachers that have been brought about by COVID-19 standard operating procedures issued by the Ministry of Health and Child Care, hence if the Ministry, was to recruit according to those standard operating procedures for COVID-19, would require an additional 50 470.  That is what would allow for sufficient social distancing under COVID-19.  It does not end there Mr. Speaker, what it also means is that there has to be accommodation in terms of classrooms for the learners under COVID-19 pandemic operational procedures. 

Another fact Mr. Speaker, is that prior to recruitment of the 11 000, we were estimating that we had about 23 000 to 24 000 trained teachers.  After the recruitment of the 11 000, we are currently looking at the current stock of trained teachers being at about 14 000/15 000, which means that to a very large extent that 50 000 figure for COVID operational procedures is very difficult to meet, both in terms of making sure that we have enough space for the learners but also in making sure that we have sufficient numbers of trained teachers to fill the gap. 

The breakdown of the number of teachers at each teaching level which is ECD-A and B and primary Grades 1 to 7, lower secondary Forms 1 and 2, middle secondary Forms 3 and 4 and upper secondary Forms 5 and 6 as well as the learner enrolments have been calculated with the aid of the Ministry’s Education Management Information System (EMIS) as illustrated below:

The total learner enrolment at ECD level stands at 654 213 learners and the current number of ECD teachers in post is 8 833 which gives a teacher-pupil ratio (TPR) of 1:73 at this level.  At the secondary level, lower secondary we have 262 113 males and 274 434 females.  The ratio is 1:33 which is okay because generally the preferred goes up to 1:35, preferred teacher pupil ratio except for very special areas like Science where we may not have teachers but in terms of teacher-pupil ratio, we are okay at that level.  At middle secondary, the total number is 486 987 and we have a teacher-pupil ratio of 1:30.  We do not have a shortfall again there except for very special areas like Science and Mathematics.  At the upper level, we have a total of 100 457 with a teacher-pupil ratio of 1:20.  Again, we do not have a challenge there except for issues relating to special teachers.  For technical and vocational teachers at primary and secondary levels, we have 9780 schools in the country both primary and secondary and we need at least two teachers per school.  We are assuming that a school should have two learning areas that are technical and vocational.  The teacher-pupil ratio is 1:100 and we are supposed to have an ideal staff situation of 45 659 teachers. What we have at the moment is 19 000 teachers for Tec/Voc but the ideal number is 45 659.  We have less than half the teachers that we need as far as Tec/Voc is concerned.

Summary of teacher requirements under current conditions is as follows;

The Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education is lobbying for the creation of an additional 50 470 teacher posts in all the schools in this country and it will allow them to manage even under COVID. 

In conclusion, I want to restate that Government is committed to improve conditions of service for members of the Public Service and will continue to engage the Apex Council to solve all issues related to conditions of service.  It is however imperative to note that we should always take stock between employment costs and economic stability and development.  Any salary adjustment can be inflationary and can lead to erosion of purchasing power immediately after being awarded if we are not careful and if we do not analyse properly.  Therefore, we should guard against adjustments that result in a zero sum game scenario.  It is also important to note that the issue of managing staffing levels in  schools is noted and will be addressed in a staggered manner in the spirit of managing the wage bill and also making it commensurate with infrastructural development at the school level, particularly classrooms and accommodation for teachers. 

We have about 1800 or so schools throughout the country where infrastructure is virtually non-existent; these are the so-called satellite schools.  Attempts by parents, various stakeholders concerned about this are now also the local authorities mainly using devolution funds – all these are commendable.  However, for us to fully mitigate the problem of infrastructure, I think there is a need for a marshall plan on the part of this nation where we mobilise enough resources in order to provide sufficient and optimum infrastructure in our schools.  I thank you.