ZIMBABWE is fast sliding into a kingdom. The monarchy is preparing and has prepared hard. In the feudal ages, kings were infallible and could use the kingdom’s resources as they pleased. This sounds familiar? The mid-term budget statement last week paints the same picture in motion.
Before laying into the mid-term budget statement, a substantive quote of the Old Testament would suffice. Soon after escaping from the Egyptian bondage, the Israelites were clamouring to have a king like other nations. Samuel, the prophet promised to consult God about the request.
The following is Samuel’s response at length quoted in 1 Samuel 8 verses 11 to 17: “11And he said, This will be the manner of the king that shall reign over you: He will take your sons, and appoint them for himself, for his chariots, and to be his horsemen; and some shall run before his chariots.
12And he will appoint him captains over thousands, and captains over fifties; and will set them to ear his ground, and to reap his harvest, and to make his instruments of war, and instruments of his chariots.
13And he will take your daughters to be confectionaries, and to be cooks, and to be bakers.
14And he will take your fields, and your vineyards, and your olive yards, even the best of them, and give them to his servants.
15And he will take the tenth of your seed, and of your vineyards, and give to his officers, and to his servants.
16And he will take your menservants, and your maidservants, and your goodliest young men, and your asses, and put them to his work.
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17He will take the tenth of your sheep: and ye shall be his servants.”
I have deliberately quoted the Bible because, although Zimbabwe is a secular republic, many public functions begin with a prayer, leading some people to mistakenly believe that the country is constitutionally a Christian nation. In kingdoms, State resources are often used to serve the king's interests and personal comforts. Zimbabwe does not have to look far for an example. Eswatini is an absolute monarchy, where the king is maintained at taxpayers' expense
One could not help but draw parallels from the 2026 Mid-Term Budget Statement. The biggest spender was the Office of the President and Cabinet (OPC), which, in just six months, had already spent 143% of its annual budget allocation. It was followed by the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development, which had exhausted 108% of its annual allocation over the same period.
If everything being constant, the OPC will use a staggering 286% of its allocation. This is nearly three times as high as its budget allocation. Transport and Infrastructural Development would likely end at slightly double over its allocation.
Where is this infrastructure taking place? It could be roads or new campuses; they are being set up to magnify the image of the king or where the elites live. The new city in Mt Hampden is receiving a fair share of that budget.
What are areas that received the least funding? The Environment, Climate and Wildlife ministry received a mere 11% of its budget allocation in the first half of the year.
Yet, this is the economy importing fossil fuels for use by the beasts that the elite use. The big fuel guzzlers are the staple for political elites at the expense of climate change.
The public sphere is full of stories of who are mining in the riverbeds, destroying mountains in search of gold? It is the political elites and senior party apparatchiks. Now, it becomes clear why they don’t care about the economy.
The effects of climate change, pollution of water bodies and the environment is disproportionally shared by the women and children. They now have to walk long distances to get firewood or water for domestic consumption. They have to work harder in the fields for the pitiful return of just about a tonne of maize per hectare, one of the lowest yields in the region.
Public Service and Social Welfare ministry had the lowest budget allocation utilisation at 8% in the first six months. This is in a country with nearly half of its people living in abject poverty, according to the World Bank.
The Health and Child Care ministry was at 33%. Let us remember, the health budget is still below the 15% set by the Abuja Declaration on health. Yet, the little allocation is not disbursed in time. At this rate, the ministry would only utilise two thirds of its allocation by year end.
Treasury did not highlight utilisation by Primary and Secondary Education ministry. It is below 30%. The government does not pay fees for the poor and vulnerable. The money set aside for that is sadly redirected towards the OPC or infrastructure in the areas the elite live.
The aforementioned tally closely to what the book of Samuel says a king would do. History is replete with kings who lived in affluence at the expense of their subjects. The most widely recorded is King Louis XV of France.
The French revolution of 1789 highlighted the insensitivity of a monarchy. In a heavily taxed France, Queen Mary Antoinette had the audacity to tell Parisians demonstrating for bread that ‘if they can’t have bread why don’t they have cake.’
History recorded what happened next; the Bastille and the infamous guillotine, and the end of the monarchy.
As Zimbabweans, particularly members and supporters of Zanu PF, debate around a possible monarchy, they should reflect on what an increasingly powerful presidency is doing to national priorities. The budget numbers tell a story.
The taxpayers have to pay more taxes, take less home and live in grinding poverty with no social safety nets. That is what Kings have done since biblical times and will continue to do. They don’t learn, but worse it’s their subjects who don’t remember history.
