Mthuli Ncube Breaks Silence On 143% OPC Budget Utilisation, Rejects ‘Spending Spree’ Claims
Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube has responded to growing public debate over reports that the Office of the President and Cabinet (OPC) recorded 143% budget utilisation by 30 June 2026. In a press statement issued on 31 July 2026, Ncube said the figure does not represent operational overspending, unauthorised expenditure or a budget overrun, while dismissing claims of a “spending spree” as misleading.
The statement follows widespread discussion after the presentation of the 2026 Mid-Term Budget and Economic Review, with the Finance Ministry insisting the reported expenditure must be viewed in the context of how Government manages centrally funded national programmes.
Mthuli Ncube Explains Why OPC Recorded 143% Budget Utilisation
According to the Ministry of Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion, the reported utilisation reflects Government policy to centrally manage selected strategic national programmes through the Office of the President and Cabinet before reallocating the expenditure to the responsible Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs).
In the statement, the Ministry said:
“The Ministry wishes to clarify that this does not constitute operational expenditure by the Office of the President and Cabinet, nor does it constitute unauthorised expenditure or a budget overrun by the Office.”
The Ministry explained that the expenditure covers programmes including hospital refurbishment, national social protection initiatives, education and agricultural interventions, digital economy projects and the capacitation of Government departments.
It added:
“Expenditure incurred under these centrally managed programmes is initially recorded under the Vote of the Office of the President and Cabinet and then reallocated to the respective beneficiary Ministries, Departments, and Agencies through the appropriate budgetary and accounting processes.”
Mthuli Ncube Rejects ‘Spending Spree’ Claims
The Ministry also stressed that all public expenditure is undertaken within the framework of the Constitution, the Public Finance Management Act and the Appropriation Act, and remains subject to Treasury oversight, audits and Parliamentary scrutiny.
The statement noted that Zimbabwe posted a ZiG14.2 billion budget surplus during the first half of 2026 after recording ZiG137.8 billion in revenue against ZiG123.6 billion in expenditure and net lending.
Responding to criticism circulating on social media, Information Ministry Permanent Secretary Nick Mangwana summarised the clarification on X, saying the expenditure relates to centrally managed national programmes rather than the operational costs of the Office of the President and Cabinet.
The Ministry said:
“Reference to a ‘spending spree’ in some media reports is therefore inaccurate and misleading, if not mischievous, and was never mentioned in the Minister of Finance’s Statement.”
Government Says Spending Will Be Reallocated
The Ministry concluded that the expenditure will, through established budgetary processes, be reallocated to the ministries and agencies responsible for implementing the programmes.
It said the clarification was intended to ensure the public interprets the 143% utilisation figure within the broader framework of Government budgeting and public financial management, while reaffirming its commitment to transparency, accountability and fiscal discipline.
The post Mthuli Ncube Rejects ‘Spending Spree’ Claims On 143% OPC Budget Utilisation appeared first on iHarare News.
