Rude awakening for new Zimbabwe Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube

Zimbabwe’s Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube who was sworn in on Monday has received a rude awakening as he tries to raise money for the cholera outbreak in the country which has so far killed 25 people.

Ncube is trying to raise the money through crowdfunding and tweeted yesterday afternoon: “Together with my colleagues at Min of Health, we have set up an auditable emergency crowdfund to further efforts to fight cholera to date. Together we can win! Min Of Finance Cholera Crowd Fund:  EcoCash Biller Code 140286; CBZ Treasury, ACC 21537300017, Selous REF: FIGHT CHOLERA.”

Ncube received a backlash with Thandekile Moyo saying: “We’re Unemployed, Cholera riddled &Living in sewage strewn hoods. With our taxes our Gvt: Drives SUVs, Lives in Borrowdale, Drinks bottled H²O, Kids in Private schools, Gets paid in USD. But here they are Asking us for $$ to solve a crisis Caused by their theivary. The epitome of delela!”

Apolo Creed added: “Imagine after chattering a plane for former first Lady…..Manje we won’t fall for that,  I’d rather go mupharmacy buy pre-prepared ORS and take to victims myself.”

TeamPachedu told Ncube to put his house in order first, writing: “Thank you for the initiative. However, we know Zimbabwe better than you do. Implement sweeping audit reforms in the GVT first, only can the public be more willing to help in such initiatives. Below is an extract some of the anomalies in audit report by the AG presented last year.”

Almost half of the unsupported expenditure totalling $21.7 million  was by the Ministry of Health.

Zvobgo Luckson pitted Ncube saying while he was begging for money one of his colleagues was bragging about the good living he was having. “Poor technocrat… This government will shame your name soon,” he added.

Even MDC deputy treasurer Charlton Hwende, who is crowdfunding for his party’s legal costs, wrote: “What kind of nonsense is this ? Your Government chartered a plan for grace to attend a funeral now 25 poor people have died all you can do is crowd funding?”

Ncube’s tweet received more than 900 responses but most of them were attacking him or the government for trying to raise money from the people while the government was spending taxpayers’ money on cars for Members of Parliament ($20 million), vehicles for chiefs and ministers and on former First Lady Grace Mugabe.

One respondent even asked who was going to do the audit as he did not trust the government.

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