SKYROCKETING prices, coupled with an unstable local
currency, shortages of fuel and energy are taking a huge toll on the suffering
Zimbabweans, setting up Zanu PF leader President Emmerson Mnangagwa for a
dramatic fall, opposition MDC leader Nelson Chamisa has warned.
Speaking to NewsDay on the sidelines of the party’s
just-ended congress in Gweru at the weekend, Chamisa said the country was
facing a long winter owing to the relentless socio-economic and political
crisis.
“Winter is coming, you look at how the hard-working people
have lost dignity. The teachers, police, military and civilians have lost
dignity and they can’t take in that much,” he said.
The local currency’s purchasing power has been eroded over
the past week after government removed a fuel subsidy that had, somehow,
stabilised prices of most basic commodities.
The ZWL$ has been fast losing value against other hard
currencies, trading at 1:8 to the US dollar on the black market as of
yesterday, eroding most workers’ salaries to less than US$100 per month.
Chamisa said his party, once it takes over power, would
restore the dignity of hard work by curing economic problems in the country.
“We can deliver and restore dignity to the working majority
of Zimbabwe. We have a smart plan, but for us to do that, there is need to
restore legitimacy in this country,” he said.
“We need to go to the table and ensure that we ring in
reforms that ensure we never have contested elections.”
Chamisa warned that if there was no immediate dialogue
between his party and Mnangagwa’s Zanu PF, the economic meltdown would explode.
Government has, however, blamed western sanctions for
hurting the economy.
But Chamisa said the sanctions mantra was “an excuse by
failures whose sole purpose of being in government was entrenching power for
purposes of corruption”.
“The country is facing these problems because we have
people who have no idea how to run the country, looting and lining their
pockets through corruption,” the MDC leader said.
“During the (2009-13) inclusive government, we had these
measures, but we delivered. We changed people’s lives. These measures that the
US has against Zimbabwe were here during that time.”
His warning came as Cabinet yesterday discussed the price
increase of basic goods and services, alleging that this was driven by the
parallel USS market which authorities alleged was being influenced by movements
on the stock market.
“Of great concern to Cabinet is the fact that the price
increases are apparently being fuelled by the parallel market rate,”
Information minister Monica Mutsvangwa said.
“Government is nonetheless working around the clock to
address the issue of price hikes in order to alleviate the suffering of its
citizens.”
Among some of its congress resolutions, the MDC called for
an all-stakeholders meeting to “locate exit points” from the crisis.
“Concerned by the absence of a national consensus and
broad-based inclusive reforms resulting in cosmetic, false and pretentious
reforms, congress, therefore, calls for the restoration of trust, confidence
and legitimacy in order to create an environment for growth, stability,
productivity on the back of domestic and foreign capital flows,” part of the
opposition party’s resolutions read.
“Congress reiterated its position, that in the face of
continued intransigence by Zanu PF, the people of Zimbabwe have a
constitutional right to protest.”
Government has warned that any violent protests will be
ruthlessly crushed. Newsday
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