By Fani Mapfumo | Zim Morning Post |
The Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) has blamed some members of the Presidential Advisory Council (PAC) for being behind the massive price hikes that have been witnessed by the country since October last year.
The ZCTU alleged that most of the PAC members were known businessmen with influence in the unjustified price increases as they seek to profiteer and pretend to play ‘innocent’ in Mnangagwa’s face.
Speaking to this publication on Friday, ZCTU Secretary general Japhet Moyo described these PAC members ‘as a double dipping cartel that advises the president during the day then go ahead to increase prices during the night’.
“We have a cartel that advises the President during the day under the so called PAC, and the same people increase prices at night. The same cartel is responsible for unjustified price increases and ill advises the Executive,” said Ncube.
He however could not be drawn into mentioning the names of the alleged culprits.
PAC is comprised of well known business people with interests across diverse sectors and the body has names like Trevor Ncube of AMH Holdings, Shingi Munyeza, Busisa Moyo, Kudakwashe Tagwirei, Divine Ndhlukula among other captains of industry.
Moyo further said the price hikes in the country were unjustified and were being applied in an illogical way.
“They are unjustified and without logic, especially after business welcomed the monetary policy statement by the RBZ. Business are duplicitous and hypocrites. The price hikes over slight movement in exchange rate is unacceptable,” he fumed.
The price increases are coming at a time the government and private companies have refused to increase salaries for their employees to afford basic commodities whose prices have increased by almost 300% since last year.
“The current government has not reformed at all. They criminalise trade union work. Just like the old system they fight in the corner of capital.
“They are captured by capital and people in the Executive are part of capital. They put legislation that have impoverished workers and weaken unions.”
ZCTU will this year commemorate workers’ day at Dzivarasekwa Stadium under the theme
“We are at a crossroads! Unite, fight neoliberalism and austerity”
He said they were moving with the theme because “It amply sums up the situation we are in as working men and women. We are facing a plethora of challenges, mostly created by ‘external factors’ like national toxic environment. The monetary policies have eroded incomes and devalued our savings.”
Government has read the riot act to businesses for what it terms illegal price hikes.
