NO AUTOMATIC BONUSES FOR CHEFS : GOVT

GOVERNMENT has directed that there will not be automatic bonus payments for senior civil servants, but they will only receive the 13th cheque depending on their work output in line with performance-based contracts which they signed earlier in the year.

Government last year introduced performance-based contracts for Cabinet Ministers, Permanent Secretaries and other heads of public entities including local authorities’ chief executive officers and town clerks to promote accountability to taxpayers.

Public officials signed performance-based contracts to ensure that they meet set targets as they are expected to drive President Mnangagwa’s vision of transforming the country into an upper middle-income economy by 2030.

Government normally awards the 13th cheque in November.

Addressing educationists from Matabeleland region during a dissemination workshop on the Education Sector Strategic Plan (ESSP) 2021-2025 and Education Amendment Act in Bulawayo on Friday, Primary and Secondary Education Permanent Secretary Mrs Tumisang Thabela said Government was serious in ensuring that public servants deliver on their mandate.

ESSP speaks to policies that are going to guide the education sector until 2025 in sync with the National Development Strategy 1 (NDS1).

The meeting was attended by educators including provincial education directors, district schools’ inspectors, school development committee chairperson, teachers’ unions as they unpacked developments in the education sector.

Mrs Thabela said all senior civil servants will have to justify why they have to be paid bonuses considering the performance contracts that they signed.

“Only yesterday (Thursday) we received notification [from the employer) that beginning 2022 everyone, director and above will not get bonus automatically. If you are a director or grade above, you are going to be assessed according to your performance and be given a performance bonus if you deserve it,” said Mrs Thabela.

She said according to the Government circular senior employees who have failed to meet targets will not be paid bonuses.

“If you don’t meet the targets which you set yourself with your supervisor which met the minimum expectations then you might have to go and tell your children this year that there is no bonus starting with your Permanent Secretary. So, the only people who are safe are those who said they re a deputy director or acting deputy director,” she said.

Mrs Thabela said the education sector has a responsibility to equip pupils with skills to face societal challenges beyond the classroom.

She said in doing so no child should be left behind as education should help nurture all the pupils’ talents.

“The nation looks upon us to make sure that we develop all its children in a way that guarantees it of a positive future. So, each school is therefore, expected to make sure that each child or each adult who walks into those gates gets an education product that guarantees they are going to get their fullest potential in the area in which they are most capable,” she said.

“Our job is to make sure that we fully understand each learner, their aptitudes, their flairs, their abilities and to develop those abilities fully.”

Mrs Thabela said days are gone when teachers would say that “Ngihamba labahambayo” and neglecting the disadvantaged learners.

“Now, all children have a destiny and our role is to help them reach that destiny by being a catalyst that helps to get them there. The ESSP defines what we say we are going to do as an education sector,” said Mrs Thabela. Chronicle

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