Govt Urged To Slash Military Expenditure

An economist, Prosper Chitambara, has urged the government to cut military spending and use the money for social services such as health care.

Chitambara said this in Mutare on Monday at the Labour and Economic Development Research Institute of Zimbabwe (LEDRIZ) engagement workshop with local journalists. He said:

We can do without a military. Let’s reduce the personnel in the army because we are not under any threat, but channel more resources to health and social services. For example, Japan has channelled more resources to health and social services than to the army.

Zimbabwe spends a large chunk of its budget on defence and this consequently results in fewer funds being available for health care, education and water provision.

According to the Newsday, in September, secretary for Defence Mark Grey Marongwe said the Defence ministry requires $25 billion in 2020 if the value of the Zimbabwe dollar against the United State dollar stays the same.

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