Finance and Economic Development Minister Mthuli Ncube of Zimbabwe has come under criticism for his plan to allocate $57.5 million to war veterans in an attempt to gain support for the ruling Zanu PF party ahead of upcoming elections.
The allocation has been met with opposition from MPs who argue that the government is already struggling to fund social services, with only $63 million set aside for vulnerable citizens.
In the National Assembly, Norton legislator Themba Mliswa accused Ncube of having misplaced priorities and questioned the significant increase in the number of war veterans from 34,000 in 1997 to 142,000 in 2022.
Mliswa also pointed out that while war veterans have been given $57.5 million, only $63 million has been allocated for social protection. The 2023 national budget, which includes these allocations, was recently passed by Parliament.
