According to official Government data contained in […]

According to official Government data contained in the 2025 Auditor General’s report Seen by the Zambian Business Times-ZBT, 35 public officers who have attained the normal retirement age of sixty (60) years have continued serving in active service contrary to the law.

 However, Sections 2 and 3 of the National Pension Scheme Authority (NAPSA) Act No. 7 of 2015 stipulate that an officer should retire upon attaining the pensionable age of 60, while Section 4 (2) of Statutory Instrument No. 24 of 2015 allows retirement at 55 or 65 subject to twelve months’ notice and Presidential approval.

Contrary to these legal provisions, the 35 officers remained in employment and received salaries totalling K3,642,927 without the required approval. A further checks in the report by the Zambian Business TimesZBT shows that Lusaka recorded the highest number, with 19 officers at the Ministry of Agriculture headquarters receiving K2,005,360, followed by Luapula with five officers at Mansa PACO paid K564,780.

 Meanwhile, Northwestern Province recorded three officers at Solwezi PACO receiving K534,779, while Southern Province had three officers at Choma PACO paid K351,631, Eastern Province had four officers at Chipata DACO paid K162,285, and Muchinga had one officer at Chinsali PACO paid K24,092.

Speaking in an interview with ZBT, Public Policy and Education Quality Assurance Expert, Dr. Martin Mushumba said the continued retention of the 35 officers beyond retirement age is more than an administrative failure, as it exposes weaknesses in public sector transition planning.

“Keeping 35 officers beyond the mandatory retirement age at a cost of over K3.6 million in salaries is not just an administrative lapse, but a symptom of a weak public sector transition system,” said Dr. Mushumba.

He added that some public officers might be reluctant to retire because of financial insecurity, fear of losing relevance and inadequate psychological preparation, arguing that the system prepares people to work but often fails to prepare them for life after employment.

“Our system recruits people to work but does not adequately prepare them to retire, leaving some officers afraid of financial insecurity, loss of relevance and the uncertainty that comes with life after public service,” said Dr. Mushumba.

 He called on Government to introduce a mandatory five-year pre-retirement preparation programme covering financial literacy, investment, NAPSA benefits, entrepreneurship, agribusiness and psychosocial counselling to help officers prepare for life after formal employment.

Dr. Mushumba also urged Government to link human resource and payroll systems to National Registration Cards and NAPSA records to flag officers approaching retirement at 58, while strengthening succession planning across ministries and Provincial Agricultural Coordinating Offices (PACOs).

 “We cannot have a situation where young, qualified Zambians remain unemployed while the payroll is clogged by officers who should have honorably retired because retirement should be a celebration of service, not a crisis,” he said.

Article by Philip Sinkala