Budget of Unmet Expectations: Mthuli Ncube’s 2026 Plan Falls Short

By Newton Mambande

HARARE – AS Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube tables the 2026 budget, Zimbabweans are left questioning if their economic woes will ever end. Themed “Building Resilience for Sustained Economic Transformation,” the budget promises much but delivers little. It fails to adequately address the nation’s most pressing issues: food security, health, education, and financial stability.

Food Security: A Forgotten Priority?

With Zimbabwe grappling with severe droughts and food shortages, the budget should have made food security its central focus. Instead, the allocations reveal a stark disconnect. By cutting bids from government departments by 62%, welfare-related ministries—including agriculture—are left with critically limited resources. This approach is a recipe for disaster in a nation reliant on rain-fed agriculture.

Health and Education: Crippling Consequences

The health and education sectors continue to bear the brunt of underfunding. While allocations have seen nominal increases, the funding remains insufficient. It cannot remedy the crumbling healthcare infrastructure or the severe shortage of medical personnel. Similarly, education funding threatens to undermine the country’s long-term human capital development, compromising the future of its youth.

Value Added Tax: A Recipe for Inflation

The increase in Value Added Tax (VAT) is a ticking time bomb. This measure will likely trigger inflation and further erode the purchasing power of citizens. It disproportionately targets low-income groups, including pensioners, senior citizens, and single-mother or child-headed families. This regressive tax policy risks pushing the most vulnerable deeper into poverty.

Partisan Politics and Corruption: The Elephant in the Room

Even a well-crafted budget would struggle under the weight of systemic partisan politics and corruption. The current climate threatens implementation. For instance, the politicization of food security has led to the misuse of resources, with ruling party affiliates often prioritized in government programs. Transparent and accountable governance is not just an ideal—it is an urgent necessity.

Solutions for Effective Implementation

To salvage this budget and its intended outcomes, the government must consider decisive actions:

• Prioritize Food Security: Significantly increase funding for climate-smart agriculture and ensure the transparent, non-partisan distribution of resources.
• Boost Health and Education: Allocate sufficient resources to rebuild infrastructure, attract personnel, and ensure quality service delivery.
• Reconsider the VAT Increase: Explore alternative, equitable revenue streams that do not place an undue burden on low-income households.
• Tackle Corruption Head-On: Implement robust, independent anti-corruption mechanisms to ensure accountability in all public programs.
• Foster Inclusive Governance: Encourage genuine citizen participation and ensure government programs benefit all Zimbabweans, not a select political few.

The 2026 budget represents a profound missed opportunity to tackle Zimbabwe’s deep-rooted economic challenges. It is time for the government to genuinely put its citizens’ interests first and work toward building a more equitable and prosperous society for all.

Newton Mambande is an entrepreneur and researcher. He has published scientific research in academic journals and is reachable at newtonmunod@gmail.com and +263773411104.