Lowest Paid ZANU PF Workers Reportedly Get Around $700…
By Advent Shoko
Harare, Zimbabwe – Labor Economists and African Democrats (LEAD) leader Linda Masarira has demanded equitable salary increase for civil servants and parastatal workers following reported pay increases for ZANU-PF party workers. The former MDC-T spokesperson emphasised that the nation’s backbone, including doctors, nurses, teachers, social workers, engineers, and parastatal staff, should not be left behind.
In a statement released Wednesday 21 January 2026, Masarira highlighted the disparity, arguing that if there is fiscal room to adjust party salaries, the same consideration must extend to public servants and parastatal employees whose wages have been eroded by inflation and currency instability. Reads in part the statement seen by ZiGoats:
“Beyond party structures stand the backbone of Zimbabwe: doctors and nurses keeping hospitals open against all odds; teachers shaping future generations; social workers protecting the most vulnerable; civil registry staff safeguarding national identity; engineers, technicians, water and power workers sustaining essential services; and thousands of parastatal employees ensuring continuity in transport, energy, communications, and food security.”
Masarira called for immediate, across-the-board salary reviews for civil servants and parastatal workers, transparent implementation timelines, and sustainable remuneration reforms including periodic indexation to keep pace with the cost of living. She added:
“Equity and national cohesion demand consistency. Morale, productivity, and service delivery are inseparable from dignified pay.”
The activist stressed that Zimbabwe’s nation-building efforts cannot rely on selective upliftment. She urged the government to extend the same resolve demonstrated in adjusting party worker salaries to the country’s civil servants and parastatal workforce. Masarira concluded:
“For the dignity of work. For the dignity of service. For a Zimbabwe that truly leaves no one behind.”
Linda Masarira has added her voice to the growing chorus demanding that the government either implement a meaningful salary increase for civil servants or simply restore pre-October 2018 wages, which hovered around $540. Currently, workers earn roughly $270, far below the cost of living, and last year they received a one-off $150 disbursed in two batches in November and December on top of their annual bonus. Finance Minister Professor Mthuli Ncube has resisted immediate increases, insisting that any adjustment will follow a job evaluation with timelines that remain unclear. Analysts and civil society observers have described the situation as a slap in the face for hardworking public servants, pointing to the stark contrast with the luxurious perks, cars worth $100,000, houses, and other benefits, handed to socialites, highlighting a glaring disconnect in national priorities.
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