HARARE – Newly-appointed Agriculture, Water, and Rural Resettlement Minister Anxious Masuka let go of seven long-serving directors in the ministry on Thursday as the government begins retiring civil servants above 65 years.

Public Service Commission chairman Vincent Hungwe has circulated a memo in which he said that all civil servants above 65 years of age will be retired. The retirement age was lowered from the previous 70.

The directors who were shown the door by Masuka are Joseph Gondo who was chief director Agricultural Advisory Services, Reston Muzamhindo (Mechanisation and Irrigation Development), legal advisor Elizabeth Sumowah, Moffat Nyamangara (Agricultural and Farmer Training), Bothwell Makodza (Director Livestock Production) Rabson Gumbo (Director Mechanisation) and a B Mache (Director Agricultural Advisory Services).

In a statement, Masuka said the changes were in line with President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s wish to turn agriculture into an US$8.2 billion industry by 2025.

“May I also highlight that following the launch of the Agriculture and Food Systems Strategy 2020-2025 by the President which seeks to transform agriculture from a US$5.2 billion to an US$8.2 billion industry by 2025, the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Water and Rural Resettlement will reform, restructure, rebuild, and transform its service delivery to position agriculture as a major driver for the attainment of Vision 2030,” Masuka said.

“In this regard, I wish to announce that some senior civil servants who have served loyally, diligently and with dedication, have left the ministry. Their replacements will be announced by the Permanent Secretary in due course.”

The departure of the seven follows a circular on September 4 issued by Hungwe in which he told heads of ministries that Mnangagwa had approved an amendment to regulations of 2000 that provided for two pensionable ages in the civil service.

Under the 2000 regulations, those appointed on pensionable terms of service before May 1, 1992, have a pensionable age of 65 while those appointed on or after that date have a pensionable age of 60 years.

“The amendment approved by his Excellency the President, which is being finalised in the immediate term, harmonises the retirement criteria by restoring the retirement/pensionable age to 65 years for all civil servants,” the note said.

Prior to the amendment of the old regulations, some civil servants who had been hired after May 1, 1992, could still continue in service until the age of 65 upon applying for one-year extensions.