Mthuli Ncube's 2020 Budget's Single Biggest Allocation Was To The Security Sector

In a move that some have called “sucking up to the army” treasury’s single biggest allocation in the 2020 Budget was to the army The Insider reports. The Ministry of defence and war vets got $3.1 Billion and the publication quoted the treasury boss to have said he had to “prioritise allocations and disbursements to the security sector”.

Some analysts who spoke to the publication had this to say about Mthuli giving billions to the defence ministry:

When it comes to the army and war vets, it’s all about the President’s power retention. Remember these two groups have dislodged a sitting president in the past. If not prioritised they are a danger to Mnangagwa, – UZ’s William Mpofu 

You can’t starve your boss. That’s the unwritten rule in military states. A happy army is a cushion for rulers, especially in a country where there has been a fresh coup – Innocent Ncube

The defence ministry’s sizable allocation came a few days after the defence minister Oppah Muchinguri reportedly warned the govt not to take “this peace for granted” according to the publication.

More: The Insider