Mugabe says he will act on price hikes
President Robert Mugabe says his government will look into what he claims are artificial shortages of some basic goods and arbitrary price hikes by some shops and dealers.
Addressing Zanu-PF supporters at Harare International Airport on his return from the 72nd Ordinary Session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, Mugabe said he was aware of saboteurs who wanted to incite people to revolt against his Zanu PF government ahead of next year’s harmonised elections by way of creating artificial shortages of basic goods.
The 93-year-old even claimed some of the people behind the shortages were from his ruling Zanu PF party. Long fuel queues, as well as worsening shortages of cash, drugs and basic goods — have seen panicking Zimbabweans stampeding to hoard these commodities.
“Takanzwawo kuti zvinhu zvashota,” Mugabe conceded.
“Tinova neruzivo rwekuti pane vanenge vachida kuti zvinhu zvikanganisike, vanhu vomukira hurumende, isu tisipo. Asi vanhu vedu vakachenjera, havanyengerwi nemutowo iwoyo. Mapepa (cash) iwayo totadza kumawana kana ingava fuel yedzimota igonzi yashota?
“Ndauyaka, tichazvitarisa. Angave mashortages anganzi angatadzwa kugadziriswa in one day or two? Musanyanye kuchema henyu, kunoita ny’any’a pakati pedu, ndozvazvinoita.
“Tochenjera. Dzimwe nguva ndevaunonwa navo vanoda kuti zvinhu zvishate, asi tomira tese takabatana, tese tiri mugwara, tochiteerera gwara ratinokutungamirirai.
“Tinotenda, tirambe takadaro, takabatana kusvika iye zvino pamutambo wedu wemaelections toda kusvika ikoko tichiratidza kuti takabatana. Mashortages aya tinomaongorora, tichazvipedza zvese,” President Mugabe said.
Over the weekend, the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe said it had increased foreign currency allocation for basic and essential commodities to curtail threats of shortages.
RBZ Governor Dr John Mangudya said the central bank would allocate an additional US$30 million a week for basic and essential commodities imports, with an additional US$15 million being spent on fuel and electricity imports.
Most shops in Harare were limiting purchases of oil and sugar in the wake of the rampant hoarding of these items by jittery Zimbabweans.
Similarly, motorists were filling their vehicle tanks and jerrycans using cash, amid rejection of bank cards and mobile money by some service stations. Revellers who tried to swipe their cards at nightclubs and bars were also left stranded, as most owners demanded cash.
In addition, Zimbabweans have over the past few weeks been greeted by sharp increases in the prices of basic goods, as retailers hike prices continually in response to the high cost of money on the parallel market.
