HARARE – The government has increased the retirement age for members of the uniformed forces and the public service by five years.
According to Statutory Instrument (SI) 197 of 2024 issued 30 December 2024, civil servants, whose retirement age had been capped at 65, can now legally retire at 70 while the retirement age for regular soldiers is now 55, up from 50.
However, members can still extend up to 60 years, and 65 if they are war veterans.
The government also increased the retirement age for commissioned officers in the Zimbabwe Defence Forces to 65 with the option of staying up to 70 years of age.
The period of service for members serving in the ZRP, Prisons and Health Services has also been increased.
The changes are with effect from 1 January 2025.
The SI says “before the effective date, may have a pensionable age of sixty-five years with option to retire at seventy-years on full pension: Provided that any retirement after the year of sixty-fifth anniversary and before the seventieth anniversary shall be deemed to be early retirement; or on or after the effective date, shall have a pensionable age of seventy years.”
Added the SI, “A member may, on giving three months’ notice of retirement be permitted by the commission to retire before pensionable age at any time after attaining the age of sixty,” part of the SI reads.
“A permanent member shall, whatever the length of his or her pensionable service, retire on attaining the age of fifty-five years: Provided that if the minister, on the recommendation of the commander, considers that it is desirable in the public interest, he or she may allow that member to continue to serve for a period of five years until he or she attains the age of sixty years; or if that member is allowed to continue to serve in terms of paragraph (a), the commander may, on giving twelve months’ written notice to the member of his or her intention to do so, require him or her to retire before he or she has served that period.”
