By Own Correspondent

The Zimbabwean Cabinet has resolved to drastically cut its workforce, a decision driven by the deepening economic crisis and the shrinking tax base.

The decision, made during a time of immense pressure on government finances, reflects the stark reality of a nation grappling with a shrinking economy and dwindling revenue streams. The government, heavily reliant on tax revenue due to a lack of donor support, is struggling to manage its recurrent expenditure.

The decline in the revenue base, exacerbated by a contracting economy, company closures, and rising job losses, has placed immense strain on ZIMRA’s ability to fulfil its mandate.

Confirmation of this drastic measure came from the Minister of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services, Dr Jenfan Muswere. He stated that the Cabinet approved the move, which follows a comprehensive job appraisal exercise conducted by the Public Service Commission across 21 government ministries.

The job evaluation exercise, designed to assess the composition and value of roles within the government, revealed a number of concerning trends. Dr Muswere highlighted key findings, including:

Violation of job evaluation principles: The advancement via grade system, where a job maintains its grade despite changes in duties, was found to be in violation of established job evaluation principles.

Functional Duplication: The exercise uncovered instances of overlapping roles and responsibilities within and across various ministries, indicating unnecessary duplication of effort.

Imbalance in Managerial Roles: The evaluation highlighted a disproportionate number of managerial positions compared to non-managerial roles, suggesting potential inefficiencies.

Prevalence of Dead-End Jobs: The existence of a significant number of dead-end jobs for specialists was identified, indicating a lack of career progression opportunities.

These findings will lead to a comprehensive review of staffing levels across all government ministries at both national and local levels. The government plans to rationalise its workforce, implement upskilling and reskilling programs for employees, and introduce a new compensation framework and salary structure based on the principle of equal pay for equal work.



Dr Muswere emphasized that consultations are underway to ensure that the optimisation and rationalisation of the workforce align with the national Vision 2030 and the government’s commitment to leaving no one behind.