Extracting from the People: A Critical Analysis of Zimbabwe’s 2026 National Budget
By Youngerson Matete On the 27th of November 2025, the Minister of Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion, Professor Mthuli Ncube, presented the national budget to Parliament. A national budget is a government’s financial plan for a fiscal year, detailing revenues, expenditures, and priorities in resource allocation. It serves as a tool of fiscal policy to influence economic growth, employment, inflation, and social redistribution while maintaining fiscal sustainability. Every national budget tells a story. It reflects a government’s priorities, outlines its development strategy, and communicates its vision to citizens. The 2026 Zimbabwe National Budget, presented under the theme "Enhancing Drivers of Economic Growth and Transformation Towards Vision 2030," aspires to be a transformative instrument designed to stimulate economic growth, attract investment, and ensure inclusive development. Yet, for ordinary Zimbabweans, the budget presented by the Minister c...