Resist, Reject and Report Violence, #RRRV2023
4 Key Findings and
Mitigation Measures
4.1 Mis-prioritized Budgeting
The government approved a loan facility for legislators and the executive, with
Ministers getting US$500,000, Deputy Ministers US$350,000 and Members of
Parliament US$40,000 to buy a residential stand. Close to US$ 40 million is
required to fund the facility. The loan scheme is inappropriate in an economy
failing to support fundamentals, including providing quality healthcare, food
security, primary education and jobs. The 2023 Budget Statement, read by the
Minister of Finance and Economic Development, Prof. Mthuli Ncube,
acknowledges allocation deficits in the health and education sectors, among
other essential services. In 2022, Development Partners supported the health
sector financing gap, with the Zimbabwe government receiving a total of
US$408.3 million. The 2023 National Budget provides ZWL$2 billion for
procuring ambulances, utility vehicles and other essential medical equipment.
The allocation is 2.5% of the loan facility for the legislators and the executive. A
Value Added Tax (VAT) upward adjustment from 14.5% to 15% to grow fiscal
space contradicts and renders it a luxury, approving a loan facility from the
already strained public purse. The Zimbabwe Hospital Doctors Association
(ZHDA), in their letter to the Parirenyatwa Hospital Chief Executive Officer (CEO),
highlighted the deteriorating conditions at the healthcare facility. There are no
consumables, including yellow cannulas, syringes, sterile gloves, betadine,
cotton wool strapping, catheters and urine bags. Buildings are falling apart, and
many with leaking roofs. According to Zimbabwe's Health Services Board, more
than 4,000 government healthcare workers have left the country since 2021,
mainly for the United Kingdom (UK), leaving the system drastically understaffed.
ZPP recommends the adoption of the following interventions to ensure
justifiable budget allocations towards strengthening citizens’ health care:
4.1.1
The government should ensure that adequate financial resources are
available for strengthening public health services, as per the African Charter on
Human and People’s Rights, of which Zimbabwe is a signatory.
4.1.2 Government should prioritize citizens’ healthcare needs ahead of other
non-essential expenditure.
December 2022
The Zimbabwe Peace Project Monthly Monitoring Report
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