Sikhulekelani Moyo, [email protected]
BULAWAYO residents have called for increased funding for education, primary healthcare and social protection, saying inadequate allocations are undermining essential services and leaving pensioners and vulnerable groups struggling to survive.
The concerns dominated submissions during the 2027 National Budget consultations at Nketa Hall in Bulawayo on Wednesday.
Residents urged Government to align social sector spending with international benchmarks and ensure allocated funds reach beneficiaries on time.
The hearings, led by Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Budget, Finance and Investment Promotion, are part of ongoing countrywide consultations to gather citizens’ views on the 2027 National Budget under the theme “Your Voice, Your Budget, Your Future”.
Ms Adis Hlongwane of the Zimbabwe National Network for People Living with HIV (ZNNP+) called for increased domestic funding for HIV programmes to protect gains made over the years.
Ms Hlongwane also called on Government to honour the Abuja Declaration, which commits African countries to allocate at least 15 percent of their national budgets to health.
She said more health workers were needed to reduce long queues and administrative delays, which she said could contribute to patients defaulting on treatment.
Mr Kasirai Hweta of the Zimbabwe Network of Early Childhood Development Actors (Zinecda) said public participation in budget consultations was sometimes limited by inadequate information.
“People don’t have full information about the budget and budget consultations, which limits people’s contributions,” he said.
Mr Hweta also called for increased funding for early childhood development and HIV prevention, arguing that greater emphasis should be placed on prevention rather than the more costly treatment of new infections.
Mr Mondli Khumalo said primary healthcare was facing serious funding challenges.
He called for increased support for village health workers, saying the US$15 allowance they receive was inadequate and was not paid consistently.
Mr Khumalo also called for greater investment in mental health services, saying there was a need for more affordable rehabilitation facilities.
“We need more rehabilitation centres because some are owned by private players but they are expensive,” he said.
On education, Mr Shingai Chinara, representing the Education Coalition of Zimbabwe (Ecozi), called for the education allocation to be increased towards the 20 percent benchmark under the Dakar Framework for Action.
“We are asking the Parliament to raise the education share of the budget towards 20 percent Dakar Declaration Benchmark and ring-fence non-wage funds,” he said.
Mr Chinara also called for increased support for learners and teachers in rural, farm and resettlement schools.
“We also want the Government to assist us in keeping learners in school via the Basic Education Assistance Module (BEAM) on time, provide school meals and sanitary wear. We also want the Government to fund basic education from ECD to Grade Seven and to fund second chance pathways through non-formal education,” he said.
Pensioners also used the consultations to raise concerns over the value of their monthly Nssa payments, with some saying they were struggling to meet basic household and council expenses.
Mr Ignitions Chihota, a community leader representing pensioners, said he had worked for a clothing company for 34 years before being retrenched following the Supreme Court’s 2015 ruling commonly known as the Zuva judgment.
“I was retrenched and now I get US$55 from Nssa. I can’t afford to pay council bills,” he said.
Mr Chihota said he had been forced to use his bonus to settle a US$90 council bill in December 2025 after receiving a payment notice.
Mr Caston Chinembiri said pension payments did not adequately reflect the contributions made by beneficiaries over their working lives.
“We were paying to Nssa from 1994 but it’s now a one-size-fits-all because everyone is now getting US$55 regardless of the money you contributed,” he said.
Mr Chinembiri also raised concerns over war collaborators who had been vetted but were still waiting for their benefits.
“We were vetted I think four years ago but up to now we are yet to get our dues. We applaud the President for the vetting but we are still waiting for payment and we are dying before getting anything,” he said.
Ms Tariro Gurure, representing people living with disabilities, said social grants were not being paid consistently and called for stronger social protection measures.
She also proposed that part of the revenue from the sugar tax be allocated to primary healthcare.
Ms Gurure also called for investment in solar-powered boreholes to reduce the burden of unpaid care work, particularly on women who spend considerable time sourcing water.
Youth representatives called for increased investment in job creation, skills development and vocational training, saying improved opportunities for young people could also help tackle drug and substance abuse.
In an interview after the consultations, Matabeleland South youth quota legislator, Tinashe Mushipe, who is leading the team, said the public had demonstrated a good understanding of the budget process.
“The turnout was good, people came out to make their submissions. Most of the people do understand what the National Budget comprises and we have got submissions that we will then take to Parliament, sit down and deliberate on before compiling a report on what the citizens think the 2027 National Budget should look like,” he said.
