President Mnangagwa yesterday warned unscrupulous businesses
against continued price increases, saying Government will be forced to take
action against such practices.
He said a meeting will be held next week between Government
and businesses to find ways of resolving the unwarranted price increases.
President Mnangagwa also warned striking doctors who have
not been reporting for work for nearly two months, and said Government was
aware of external forces propping the illegal industrial action.
He was speaking while addressing the first edition of the Rural District Councillors
Meeting, where he touched on a number of welfare issues affecting the
generality of the population.
“Wherever I am going these days, people are complaining
about the ever-increasing prices of basic commodities saying you promised to
whip such business into line, so where is that whip?” he said. “As a father,
you don’t discipline your children every time they do something wrong, but just
warn before taking any action.
“However, I think we have reached a point where action has
to be taken because we don’t see any reason why there is this continuous rise
in prices.”
President Mnangagwa said the meeting with the business
community being organised by the Ministry of Industry and Commerce will give
Government an opportunity to appreciate their challenges.
He said Government secured funding for the establishment of
Silo shops mainly in rural areas where the most vulnerable live.
“We now have the funding and we have identified seven
commodities that would be subsidised,” said President Mnangagwa. “These include
mealie-meal, salt, sugar and cooking oil, among others. These shops target the
rural populace who are facing the most difficulties.”
On the doctors’ strike, President Mnangagwa said Government
was aware that some doctors were working with external forces to destabilise
the health sector. “Two months ago, we raised their salaries and they came back
again saying the value of the money had been eroded and we offered them a 30
percent increase which they rejected and we increased it to 60 percent which
they rejected again,” he said.
“After going through what is happening, we have discovered
that there are a few individuals who are getting outside influence and then
coming to influence others to continue with the strike. But what we are saying
to the doctors is that you are Zimbabweans and the sick people are also
Zimbabweans.
“There is no country that doesn’t have problems, so we
should sit down and talk while you are at work. But if you insist on being
stubborn, we will see where it will get you to. You might think what you are
doing is right, but we will see what will happen at the end.”
The doctors have refused to go work even after the Labour
Court ruled that their actions were illegal.
President Mnangagwa told the gathering that he will launch
a further 100 Zupco buses before the end of this month, as Government continues
to work towards cushioning citizens from high transport costs.
“I will be launching these (100 buses) before the end of
the month and I have agreed with the Minister (of Local Government Cde July
Moyo) that the distribution be done with a bias towards rural areas this time,”
he said.
“I think we have done a bit for the urban areas.” Herald
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