The government has raised pensions paid from the state's main account, with liberation war veterans now set to receive ZiG1,332,720 a year, according to a new notice in the Government Gazette.

The changes are in Statutory Instrument 161 of 2026, the Pensions Review Notice, 2026 (No. 48). The Herald reported on Tuesday that it was published in last Friday's Gazette. The full text of the notice is now online through the Zimbabwe Legal Information Service library.

Who gets what

The notice covers pensions paid from the Consolidated Revenue Fund, the government account that pays retired civil servants, members of the uniformed forces, former MPs, war veterans and others. The flat amounts in the notice are:

War veterans: 1,332,720 a year, about 111,060 a month.

Former political prisoners, detainees and restrictees: 1,277,190 a year.

National heroes' surviving spouses: 117,120 a year. The same figure is set as the minimum pension for designated pensioners.

The gazette text writes these amounts in dollars. The Herald reports them as ZiG amounts.

For retired civil servants and members of the uniformed forces, the notice does not set one figure. Instead, it ties each pension to what a serving person in the same grade now earns. Someone who retired normally from the Public Service can get up to 67% of the average pensionable pay of a serving civil servant in their exit grade, and up to 72% for the uniformed forces. Where a post was abolished, the caps are 75% and 80%. Where service ended on medical grounds, they are 60% and 65%. Lower caps apply to people who retired before 2004 and took one third of their pension as a lump sum.

Former MPs who left Parliament on or after 18 April 1980 can get up to 75% of the pay of a serving MP in the same post.

Some older pensions, including those of people who became pensioners before 2001 or did not contribute to their pension, go up by 20% or by the grade-based formula, whichever is higher.

The backdating

The notice gives its "effective date" as 1 February 2023, so the new levels apply from then. It does not say how or when any arrears will be paid. The Herald's report does not explain this either, and Zimbo Grapevine has not seen a Treasury statement on it.

How it was decided

The notice says Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube acted under the Pensions Review Act after agreeing with a decision by the Minister of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare, which was in turn based on the recommendation of a pensions review tribunal. The Herald names that minister as Edgar Moyo.

The notice also covers pensioners who reach 60. Where a pensioner dies before 60, the pension paid to the surviving spouse is worked out as if the pensioner had already reached that age.

Why it matters

Many state pensioners have long said their monthly payments do not keep up with prices. The review lands in the same week that official figures showed ZiG inflation rising to 4.3% in October, as Zimbo Grapevine reported on Tuesday.

For families in the diaspora who help support retired parents, the useful question is what lands in the bank each month. The notice sets the levels but not the payment dates, so pensioners should check with their pension office before counting on new amounts or back pay.

The 2027 national budget, where pension spending will be set out, is due on 19 November, according to The Herald.

Sources: Statutory Instrument 161 of 2026, Pensions Review Notice, 2026 (No. 48), via the Zimbabwe Legal Information Service library: https://zilslib.co.zw/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/S.I.-161-of-2026-Pensions-Review-Notice-2026-No.-48-nom-2.pdf · The Herald (Farirai Machivenyika), 27 Oct 2026: https://www.heraldonline.co.zw/zimbabwe-government-reviews-pensions-upward-new-zig-payouts-for-war-veterans-and-civil-servants/ · Harare Express, 27 Oct 2026: https://harareexpress.com/harare-express-zimbabwe-pensions-inflation-weather-27-oct-2026/

Related: Prices still rising: ZiG inflation climbs to 4.3% as transport costs bite