By Brenda Mazhambe
All is now set for the main event of the 2026 Africa Public Service Day National Commemorations to be held tommorrow which at Chinhoyi University of Technology (CUT) in Mashonaland West Province.
Ministry of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare, the organiser of the commemorations has expressed readiness to host the following the first three days of the commemorations that has seen a line up of different activities from sports to exhibitions
The main event will bring together Government ministries, local authorities, parastatals, labour representatives, employers and other stakeholders to celebrate the contribution of public sector workers to national development and service delivery.
Speaking ahead of the main event, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare, Mr Pfungwa Kunaka, underscored the significance of the occasion in recognising the dedication of public servants across Zimbabwe.
“Tomorrow, the 23rd of June 2026, is a very important day for the Public Service in Zimbabwe. It is a day where, as Africa, we are marking and commemorating the Government worker, who is the public sector worker.
“This is a very important national day where we are supposed to celebrate, as a nation, all the contributions, all the sacrifices and all the programmes which are undertaken by public sector workers. By public sector we are not only looking at Government ministries, we are also looking at local authorities, parastatals and other public institutions.
“Indeed, as everyone would know, we now have a situation where in every district and in some wards we have Government workers. The flag which every public servant is carrying goes across the country,” he said.
Mr Kunaka noted that the Government’s policy of leaving no one and no place behind is being realised through the commitment of civil servants stationed throughout the country.
“You understand that this Government has the theme of leaving no one and no place behind in terms of service provision. This provision of services is undertaken by the public servant. Some have been working in Government for several years, they sacrificed all their lives, some got injured and some are still tirelessly contributing their best and to the best of their ability. It was therefore found necessary by African Ministers responsible for labour to come up with a day that celebrates the civil servant,” he said.
He added that the commemorations recognise the collective efforts of employees across sectors including health, agriculture, education and security.
“When we are talking about civil servants, we are looking at all the projects that are being implemented, be it in the health sector, be it in agriculture, be it in teaching and learning and even in the security sector. These services are there to benefit all of us. As Government, we have Vision 2030, which seeks to improve the lives of all our people, and that comes out of the services that ministries and all our workers render to the nation of Zimbabwe,” said Mr Kunaka.
The Permanent Secretary further highlighted the tripartite nature of the commemorations, involving Government, labour and employers.
“We know for certain that when we are celebrating, we need to be doing this as a tripartite arrangement. We have Government, we have labour and we have employers. We also have the Public Service Commission, which presides over the employment of our civil servants, and they are taking part in the programme,” he said.
A key focus of this year’s commemorations is sustainable service delivery, particularly in the area of water provision.
“This programme has a particular theme which is looking at the issue of the availability of water. It is a very critical service that is required just like all our other services. You know that Zimbabwe is at the forefront of leading the campaign for drilling boreholes and this is one of the projects that we want to be showcasing. There are several other projects which our Department of Water and ZINWA are spearheading, and these demonstrate the commitment of Government to improving the quality of life of citizens,” he said.
Mr Kunaka said the commemorations will also encourage public servants to renew their commitment to efficient and responsive service delivery in line with National Development Strategy 2 (NDS2) and Vision 2030.
“As civil servants, we want our workers to recommit themselves to serving our people across the nation. We have NDS2, which is building towards Vision 2030. We want to ensure that the activities and programmes that we have initiated for the nation are implemented. Across the nation, this is a programme where we want to re-emphasise to civil servants that they must recommit themselves to serving the people,” he said.
He added that the call by President Emmerson Mnangagwa for public officials to serve citizens remains central to Government operations.
“His Excellency the President is on record saying we need people who serve our people. Let us be servants of the people. That is what we are going to be showcasing during the commemorations. Our civil servants are committed and, as the Ministry of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare, we are entrusted with coordinating workmanship and service provision by workers across the country. Tomorrow is their day,” he said.
Mr Kunaka also expressed hope that future commemorations would allow for broader participation by civil servants nationwide.
“We hope that in the future we will be able to organise our activities so that throughout the country, on such a day, civil servants are able to come out and express themselves and also bear testimony to the services they have been delivering since 1980 as workers of Government,” said Mr Kunaka.
Reaffirming Government’s commitment to citizen-centred service delivery, he concluded:
“What I want to emphasise is that we are committed to serving the people. We hope that civil servants are going to recommit themselves on this occasion and continue delivering quality services to the people of Zimbabwe,” he said.
The 2026 Africa Public Service Day National Commemorations are expected to showcase achievements by Government institutions while promoting innovation, accountability and excellence in public service delivery as the country accelerates implementation of Vision 2030.
