The 2025 National Budget was presented with the theme "Building Resilience for Sustained Economic Transformation." It tries to show progress and recovery. But when you look closely, you can see that it has many problems and doesn't match what most people in Zimbabwe are dealing with.
The government thinks the economy will grow by 6% in 2025. They believe this will happen if there is good rainfall and the economy is stable. However, this positive view ignores the big challenges Zimbabwe faces. The country owes a lot of money - US$21.1 billion. It also has weak institutions and problems with rising prices and poor management.
A lot of money, ZiG18 billion, is being spent on defense. This is much more than what is being spent on important areas like farming, health, and education. Many people are struggling to get enough food and basic services. Spending so much on the military does not help the country develop. True resilience comes from investing in people, not from creating fear.
The amounts of ZiG28.3 billion for health and ZiG46.6 billion for education seem good at first. However, they do not fix the main problems. Schools in rural areas are falling apart. Healthcare workers are not paid enough. Many people cannot get the medicines they need. These areas need big changes, not small actions.
Only ZiG516.8 million is set aside for dealing with climate change. This is far too little for a country that is strongly affected by changes in the climate. Resilience requires real investments in clean energy, farming that can last, and managing water well.
The budget includes new ways to get money, like a 10% tax on betting winnings. These target people who are already struggling. They do not deal with corruption, which takes billions away from the public. Openness and responsibility are still missing. This leaves regular citizens to bear the burden of failures in the system.
This budget only pretends to be ambitious. The way it talks about resilience is empty. It does not address the basic unfairness and ineffectiveness in the system. The people of Zimbabwe deserve leaders who put them first. Leaders who fight corruption directly and lay the foundation for real change.
The government thinks the economy will grow by 6% in 2025. They believe this will happen if there is good rainfall and the economy is stable. However, this positive view ignores the big challenges Zimbabwe faces. The country owes a lot of money - US$21.1 billion. It also has weak institutions and problems with rising prices and poor management.
A lot of money, ZiG18 billion, is being spent on defense. This is much more than what is being spent on important areas like farming, health, and education. Many people are struggling to get enough food and basic services. Spending so much on the military does not help the country develop. True resilience comes from investing in people, not from creating fear.
The amounts of ZiG28.3 billion for health and ZiG46.6 billion for education seem good at first. However, they do not fix the main problems. Schools in rural areas are falling apart. Healthcare workers are not paid enough. Many people cannot get the medicines they need. These areas need big changes, not small actions.
Only ZiG516.8 million is set aside for dealing with climate change. This is far too little for a country that is strongly affected by changes in the climate. Resilience requires real investments in clean energy, farming that can last, and managing water well.
The budget includes new ways to get money, like a 10% tax on betting winnings. These target people who are already struggling. They do not deal with corruption, which takes billions away from the public. Openness and responsibility are still missing. This leaves regular citizens to bear the burden of failures in the system.
This budget only pretends to be ambitious. The way it talks about resilience is empty. It does not address the basic unfairness and ineffectiveness in the system. The people of Zimbabwe deserve leaders who put them first. Leaders who fight corruption directly and lay the foundation for real change.
