Govt Responds to US$10 Million Independence Day Spending Controversy
The Zimbabwean government has addressed growing public outrage and speculation over claims that this year’s Independence Day celebrations in Gokwe-Nembudziya cost US$10 million, with officials dismissing the figure but withholding a detailed breakdown of expenditures.
Permanent Secretary for Information, Publicity, and Broadcasting Services, Nick Mangwana, responded to the claims on X (formerly Twitter), defending the government’s spending.
He dismissed reports of the alleged amount and insisted that the money had gone toward meaningful development in the community.
“The government did not spend US$10 million, as some are claiming. What we did was ensure lasting development—upgraded infrastructure, improved healthcare, enhanced digital access, and better schools for the community.
If critics are truly interested in transparency, they should focus on the tangible progress that was made instead of pushing misleading narratives,” he posted.
Mangwana listed key development projects completed in Gokwe-Nembudziya ahead of the event, including upgrades to 3G and 4G network infrastructure, renovation of the local mortuary, establishment of a telemedicine clinic, refurbishment of computer labs and digital skills training for local communities.
Despite assurances of progress, skepticism remains among Zimbabweans.
Award-winning journalist Hopewell Chin’ono and other commentators have called for transparency, urging the government to release the Bill of Quantities (BoQ) to provide a clear breakdown of spending.
Social media has been flooded with questions, with users demanding evidence of the listed projects. Some pointed to the poor state of the venue, where heavy rains turned the stadium into a waterlogged mess, disrupting planned military parades.
Reports from iHarare News and other outlets criticized the infrastructure, citing missing chairs and drainage failures that affected the event’s success.
Mangwana insisted the event contributed to economic growth in the area, noting that local homeowners turned their properties into Airbnbs, food outlets saw increased business and new opportunities emerged.
