Mass protests proposed by the combined force of civil
servants, labour unions and the opposition MDC Alliance have plunged President
Emmerson Mnangagwa and his Zanu PF party into panic, amid fears the unfolding
economic crisis could morph into a fully-fledged uprising of November 2017
proportions.
Political observers opined in interviews last week that
this could have been the reason why the president cut short his leave.
Zimbabwe is in the throes of a debilitating economic crisis
that has sparked widespread labour unrest and general despondency in the
populace that has been thrust into poverty and despair owing to the sudden loss
of value of the country’s surrogate currency — the bond note.
Workers’ salaries were recently devalued four-fold by the
tacit concession by authorities that the bond note is not equivalent to the
United States dollar when the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe announced that the two
currencies could no longer be housed in the same account.
The announcement immediately sent the bond note spiralling
downslope to as much as 1 to 6 against the US dollar as attempts by Finance
minister Mthuli Ncube to claim the two still traded at par failed to convince
the market.
Prices of goods and services responded accordingly and soon
basic commodities were priced four times higher than the previous US dollar
rate and even products such as cement which used to cost $10 bond immediately
shot up to over $30 bond or USD$10. The situation has not changed to date.
The workers soon became agitated beginning with doctors who
demanded to be paid in US dollars, followed by teachers and the rest of the
civil service who are now demanding same.
The government has called a meeting tomorrow with
representatives of all civil servants in the hope of stemming what could
degenerate into a mass labour unrest which labour unions and the opposition MDC
could capitalise on to stage mass protests that they have already planned.
Despite the meeting called by the government tomorrow, the
Zimbabwe Teachers’ Association (Zimta) last night formally declared its members
would not be reporting for duty when schools open on Tuesday. They cited the
systematic erosion of their salaries, sharp rise of prices of basic commodities
and transport fares and the charging of many goods in US dollars.
Zimta president Richard Gundane said government had failed
to address any of their grievances and concerns despite previous engagements
and discussions.
“Our members are unable to report for duty with effect from
the 8th of January 2019 due to incapacitation,” Gundane said.
“…To enable the teacher to report for work and to subsist,
we demand payment of salaries in US dollars.”
Doctors have been on strike for the past 36 days over
similar demands while the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions and the MDC have
called for protests over the deteriorating economic situation in the country.
Sources said the panicky Mnangagwa government was now
desperate to find ways to stop imminent unrest in the country as this would
make it vulnerable, considering the manner in which Mnangagwa came into power
through a military coup in November 2017.
The sources said there were fears that low-ranking security
personnel, feeling the pinch of the economic meltdown might subtly support the
protests and render the security situation in the country volatile.
“The government is now panicking. There are threats from
every corner — from its workers demanding salaries in US dollars to industry
where companies producing utility goods are demanding payment for goods in the
greenback,” the source said.
“Mnangagwa has been projecting himself as a reformed person
and it will be difficult for him to use brute force to deal with the protests.
The ghost of the August 1 shooting is still haunting him and he is desperate
for ways to resolve the crisis.”
Zanu PF, the source added, was now desperate to blame MDC
leader Nelson Chamisa, who refused to recognise Mnangagwa’s leadership, for the
looming unrest, saying it is his plot to make the country ungovernable.
Mnangagwa was last week forced to abort his leave to work
with his deputy, Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga, to resolve a strike by
doctors which has gone beyond a month, collapsing the public health sector in
the country.
The striking doctors met First Lady Auxillia last Friday,
but the meeting failed to bring a solution to the crisis, that enters into its
37th day today.
Mnangagwa’s return to work came reportedly after a meeting
of the Joint Operations Committee, largely made up of the security apparatus,
which recommended his immediate return to avert a situation that has become a
security threat caused by the deteriorating situation in the country.
Yesterday, soldiers were reportedly manning major hospitals
as the crisis in the health sector deepened following the decision by doctors
last week to close even the emergency units to maintain pressure on government.
Mnangagwa also fears that the protests could be politicised
and force him out of power. His spokesperson, George Charamba, who was
unreachable last night, last week warned opposition parties against getting
involved in the doctors’ strike.
Charamba’s warning came after Chiwenga last week claimed
the doctors’ strike was now pursuing a political agenda, an allegation flatly
rejected by the doctors.
Just before the Christmas holiday, economist and former MDC
legislator Eddie Cross implored the Zanu PF leader to immediately resolve the
country’s economic crisis or risk a military action to topple him from power.
According to political observers and sources who spoke to
The Standard yesterday, fear was the reason why government has called for a
meeting with all labour unions and stakeholders tomorrow. Teachers had proposed
to start their strike tomorrow and sources said tomorrow’s meeting was meant to
try to pacify the workers and avoid the strike which would likely have
far-reaching consequences on Mnangagwa’s rule.
Local Government minister July Moyo, who is the acting
Labour and Social Welfare minister, together with several Cabinet colleagues
will meet all labour unions at the National Social Security Authority building
in Harare tomorrow.
It is also that fear, according to sources, that has forced
Zanu PF youths to release a statement advising Mnangagwa to flash out and fire
government officials suspected of sabotaging his policies.
Asked to comment on claims that Zanu PF was in panic mode,
party spokesperson Simon Khaya Moyo said: “I am not spokesperson of the
opposition, you can ask them. They are the ones who are saying so.”
But Zanu PF youth league national commissar Godfrey
Tsenengamu yesterday said the ruling party was only concerned that workers’ grievances
were not being raised using proper means and channels. He said the youths were
opposed to rioting, not demonstrations. He warned workers to stay out of
politics.
“We admit there are economic challenges in the country, but
if workers decide to take the political route and manipulate the system for
regime change, it is our duty as Zanu PF youths, we have an obligation to
defend our electoral victory,” Tsenengamu said. Standard
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