Maputo — Mozambican Prime Minister Benvinda Levi announced on Wednesday that the government is unable to pay the traditional new year bonus for 2025 to workers in the public administration.

The bonus is the equivalent of an extra month's payment of the basic wage, and so it is colloquially known as "the 13th month'.

Although public sector workers tend to treat the bonus as a right, it is, in reality, more of a tradition, and is not included in workers' contracts.

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Reporters asked Levi about the bonus during the funeral of the former Minister of State Administration, Alfredo Gamito. Although the Prime Minister thought it inappropriate to ask such a question at a funeral, she answered, claiming that the government does not have enough money to pay the 13th month.

She claimed that the government had already made it clear that, if there was sufficient money in the state budget to pay the bonus, then that would be announced "by the relevant bodies'.

"When we have a solution for the 13th month, then we shall announce it', Levi said. Although she seemed to leave the door open for a possible change of heart by the government, Levi also declared "so far there is no 13th month'.

Indeed, this had already seemed clear when President Daniel Chapo made no mention of the bonus during his State of the Nation Address, given to the country's parliament, the Assembly of the Republic, in December.

Some workers are already threatening to go on strike, if the 13th month is not paid.

On 30 December, the Mozambican Association of United Health Workers (APSUSM) threatened to bring the health service to collapse, unless the government agreed to pay the 13th month.