Tinotenda Hove – The ZANU PF government has been forced into a humiliating climbdown after intense public anger erupted over a proposed cash withdrawal levy that many viewed as an outright attack on already struggling citizens.

Following widespread backlash, the Finance Ministry dropped the controversial proposal contained in the 2026 Budget, which would have imposed new charges on people simply trying to access their own money.

Under the now-abandoned plan, individuals were set to pay a 2% levy on monthly cash withdrawals of between US$501 and US$1,000, rising to 3% on amounts above US$1,000. Businesses would have been hit with a 3% charge on withdrawals exceeding US$10,000 per month.

The proposal sparked outrage across the country, with critics arguing it exposed a government desperate for revenue and out of touch with the daily hardships faced by ordinary Zimbabweans amid cash shortages, high inflation and declining incomes.

Although authorities now claim they “listened to the public,” many citizens see the reversal as a forced retreat rather than responsible governance, questioning why such a punitive and ill-conceived policy was ever put forward in the first place.