Bulawayo, (New Ziana) – Vice President Kembo Mohadi said on Friday people should embrace retirement not as the end of productive life, but as a new frontier of service, dignity, and economic empowerment. He was speaking at a retirement planning conference for public sector workers, organised by the Public Service Commission.
He described retirement as a cornerstone of the country’s development agenda and Vision 2030. VP Mohadi also linked retirement planning to national development priorities, adding that Vision 2030 must include and uplift the nation’s retirees. “Retirement planning is not a peripheral issue, it is the heartbeat of Vision 2030.
“An upper middle-income society is measured not only by economic matrics but by the dignity and security of its people, especially its retirees,”he said. VP Mohadi commended the work of the Public Service Commission, saying it had gone beyond policy implementation to embody the spirit of the Constitution.
“Initiatives such as this Conference are not isolated programmes, they are an extension of our collective commitment to building a public service that is responsive, patriotic, and future-oriented,” he said.
Speaking at the same event, Zimbabwe Confederation of Public Sector Unions (ZCPSU) president, Cecilia Alexander called for urgent action to ensure government workers retire with dignity, adding that without proper planning, public servants risk a future of poverty, neglect, and regret.
She challenged both the government and workers to turn insight into reality when it comes to retirement planning. The conference was held under the theme, “Retirement Planning in Action: Transforming Insights into Realities”.
The 2025 conference builds on last year’s inaugural event and seeks to empower civil servants to prepare for a secure and dignified post-service life. The conference brought together policymakers, union leaders, senior civil servants, private sector including industry experts,financial institutions, health providers, insurance companies and advocacy groups in a renewed push for retirement reform, investment strategies, and post-employment welfare schemes for public sector workers.
“This summit is not just a gathering of thoughts. It is the beginning of action. Because knowledge without action is just trivia. Like having a map to a goldmine and never leaving your living room,” she said.
Alexander said many workers are heading toward a bleak and uncertain future once their working years end. “Let’s close our eyes for a moment and think about retirement. Is it a decent home? A holiday? Writing a book? Or is it broken pensions, unpaid dues, arthritis, and bitterness? The answer lies in the plan or the lack of it,” she noted.
She commended the Public Service Commission (PSC) for organizing the platform and applauded President Mnangagwa`s administration for recognising the urgency of the issue. She said there was need to build the bridge between dreams and reality, adding that inspiration alone was not enough.
“We need action. Let’s build the bridge between dreams and reality. That bridge should not be made of wishes. It is made of a plan built on action, your action, our action, and government’s action,” Alexandra said.
She proposed the introduction of a 10-minute empowerment scheme for all civil servants to educate and encourage financial planning and reforms to pension schemes to ensure they are sustainable and fair. “We also propose government support for financial assistance programs that help workers launch small businesses post-retirement.
“There is need for stronger alignment with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), especially those focused on poverty reduction (SDG 1), decent work (SDG 8), and health and well-being (SDG 3). “Retirement is not a complex financial puzzle. It is a series of small, disciplined actions over time.
The best time to start was 20 years ago. The second-best time is today,” she said. Alexander also implored civil servants to take ownership of their future by planning for their retirement. “We do not need to beg to retire with dignity. Let’s not just know better. Let’s do better. Let us transform our insights into realities, “she said.
New Ziana
