“Where Did the $1.7 Billion Go?”—Education Ministry in Ruins Despite Highest Budget Allocation
Zimbabwe’s Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education is in a state of collapse, despite receiving the highest allocation in the 2025 national budget—US$1.7 billion. Investigations by Masvingo Mirror have uncovered a shocking mismatch between government spending promises and the grim reality on the ground: provincial education offices are facing eviction, while the Ministry operates largely on funds collected from poor parents through the Better Schools Programme Zimbabwe (BSPZ).
Rent Unpaid for 16 Years, Despite Billion-Dollar Budget
In Masvingo, the Provincial Education Director and officers are facing eviction from Wigley House for failing to pay rent arrears amounting to US$5 million, dating back to 2009. The building is owned by the Mining Industry Pension Fund (MIPF).
An eviction order granted by Justice David Mangota in 2022 is still valid, with MIPF spokesperson Moses Chireedzere confirming to Masvingo Mirror that “negotiations are going on” and requesting that the article be withheld—an indication of ongoing tensions over the Ministry’s failure to honour its commitments.
Education Ministry Runs on Parent Levies, Not Government Funds
Despite promises of free education made by President Mnangagwa in 2017, government support to schools has deteriorated. BSPZ, originally meant to support school infrastructure and learning materials, has taken over core administrative costs including the provision of vehicles, office rentals, fuel, stationery, and allowances at the district and provincial level.
Masvingo Mirror reports that “not a single cent” has been disbursed from Treasury to run these offices in years.
Tendai Biti: “The Bottom Line is That ZANU PF Has Failed”
Former Finance Minister Tendai Biti offered a damning assessment, telling the paper:
“The ministry of education gets billions of dollars every year… There is a big gap between appropriation in Parliament and the budget disbursements. Disbursements come in drips and drops and are never made by the Minister of Finance and Economic Development Mthuli Ncube.”
Biti identified three systemic failures:
- Under-disbursement of funds,
- Corruption and abuse of resources—highlighted in audit reports,
- The collapse of public services, forcing citizens to subsidize state obligations.
“Education and health systems are now in intensive care unit… Individuals, normal citizens who are underpaid and the majority of them who are unemployed are now having to sponsor the obligations of what the government should be doing.”
Collapse of BEAM, Parents Left to Shoulder the Burden
The Basic Education Assistance Module (BEAM)—a safety net meant to support vulnerable children—has not been operational since early 2022, contradicting Public Service Minister July Moyo’s claims in 2024 that ZWL$16 billion had been paid out.
This has led to widespread school dropouts, with Masvingo Mirror reporting that “children are dropping from schools in their hundreds.”
Public Anger Mounts
Parent and opposition activist John Mupanduki condemned the Ministry’s reliance on parent funding:
“As a parent I am shocked with this revelation. The ministry [was] given the biggest chunk of the budget, but they can’t account for it. It is us parents who are financing the whole ministry—from offices, cars, bond papers, pens, fuel to brooms. Where are all the millions going?”
According to Masvingo Mirror, the Ministry recently bought 22 new cars for district officials, despite not paying rent or operational costs for over a decade.
Conclusion: Promise of Free Education is “A Pipe Dream”
The disjuncture between budget allocations and real-world impact has never been starker. As Masvingo Mirror noted: “The promise of free education is a pipe dream as Government fails to pay fees even for 5% of pupils who are disadvantaged.”
The education sector, once a pillar of Zimbabwe’s national pride, is now propped up by $2-per-child levies, mismanaged by officials who grant themselves allowances while the Ministry defaults on rent and abandons public responsibility.
“ZANU PF must go like yesterday,” said Biti, summing up what many parents and educators now believe.