Budget Insufficient, Machakaire Calls for Private Sector Support

Youth Empowerment, Development and Vocational Training Minister Tino Machakaire says the funding allocated to his ministry in the 2026 National Budget is far below what is required to fully implement its programmes.

Speaking to ZiFM Stereo News during the launch of the Ruwa Social Innovation Hub, Machakaire acknowledged that the allocation does not meet the ministry’s needs.

“It’s clear that the amount we received is not sufficient,” he said.

Machakaire noted that although government funding is important, the ministry must increasingly turn to partnerships with the private sector, as the national treasury alone cannot sustain all youth development initiatives.

“In our previous budget, we only received around 38% of what we had applied for. The situation has repeated itself this year, with the allocation coming in at under 40%. But we are hopeful that by collaborating with private players, we can still deliver on our mandate. Depending solely on the fiscus is not realistic,” he explained.

In the 2026 National Budget, Finance Minister Professor Mthuli Ncube set aside ZiG 1.7 billion for youth empowerment initiatives and related programmes under Machakaire’s ministry.