Zimbabwe extends retirement age for government workers to 70

The Zimbabwean government has made a big change to when local authority workers can retire. In a new announcement, the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works said workers can now retire at 70 years old instead of the previous age of 60.

The change was made official through a circular signed by Minister Daniel Garwe on April 7, 2025, following Statutory Instrument 197 of 2024.

What This Means:

• New retirement age:
  The new mandatory retirement age is 70 years for local authority workers. This means workers can keep working until they turn 70.
• Who it applies to:
  • If a worker was appointed before January 1, 2025, they can still retire at the age written in their contract.
  • However, if they want to continue working, they can stay on the job up to age 70.
  • They must tell their employer in writing six months before they plan to retire.
• Early retirement changes:
  Workers who are appointed after January 1, 2025, can choose to retire early from 60 years old.
  But for those appointed before that date, early retirement still starts at 55 years old.
• No pensionable jobs for those 55 and older:
  People aged 55 or above can no longer be hired on full pensionable terms.
  However, they may still be employed on year-to-year contracts, but these must be approved by the Minister.
• Not affected:
  Anyone who retired before December 31, 2024, is not affected by this new rule.

Why This Matters:

This change means experienced government workers can stay longer and continue contributing their skills. However, it also means younger workers may need to wait longer for job openings. The government says this move will help local authorities manage their workforce better, especially with a shortage of skilled staff.