Tinotenda Hove – The government’s announcement that it will begin paying the 2025 bonuses and a Special US$150 Presidential Gift has been met with widespread frustration, with critics dismissing the move as inadequate, poorly timed, and detached from the economic realities facing civil servants.

A government source confirmed on Monday that public sector workers would start receiving bonuses this Friday, stating that “the first 50% will be paid with November salaries, and the balance will come in December.” The source also added that “President Mnangagwa has approved a once-off Special Presidential Bonus of US$150 per employee, to be paid in two equal instalments.”

However, rather than welcoming the gesture, many civil servants have expressed anger over what they describe as a “tokenistic” and “insulting” bonus package. Workers say the announcement ignores skyrocketing inflation, rising transport costs, and the increasingly harsh living conditions confronting families nationwide.

Union representatives say the so-called Special Presidential Bonus is nothing more than a headline-grabbing gimmick. One worker sarcastically remarked that “US$75 per month won’t even cover fuel for a week,” while another complained that “government is pretending to care while offering crumbs to people who keep the country running.”

Economists also criticised the move as unsustainable and lacking meaningful policy direction, warning that the staggered payments reflect deeper financial distress within government. Some even described it as an election-style tactic delivered far too early, with one analyst noting that “throwing small amounts of money at desperate workers is not economic reform.”

The timing of the announcement has further irritated civil servants, many of whom say they were expecting a transparent, constructive dialogue on salaries—yet instead they received what one teacher called “a disappointing reminder that the government is out of touch.”

As the economy continues to shrink and households struggle to survive, the government’s bonus plan appears to have done little more than deepen dissatisfaction across the public sector.