Gloomy Christmas for Zimbabweans
PRESIDENT Emmerson Mnangagwa’s ruling Zanu PF government has been accused of stealing the Christmas cheer from ordinary citizens, who are struggling to make ends meeting.
Mnangagwa, after coming in to power through a coup in 2017, promised to improve the lives of Zimbabweans who had been wallowing in poverty for years under the late Robert Mugabe’s administration.
Five years on, the cost of living keeps skyrocketing amid poor salaries earned by the majority of workers in the private and public sectors, who say they face a gloomy Christmas tomorrow.
The luxuries associated with Christmas such as buying new clothes and once-a-year special meals have become unaffordable dreams for many, locals said in interviews this week.
A family of five now requires more than $2 million a month to manage monthly expenses according to the Consumer Council of Zimbabwe.
A single mother of two, Sekai Chirombo said: “Christmas shopping this year is just not happening. Even though the children are excited, I won't be able to buy them new clothes or toys.”
Another parent, Mathias Mazivire, said the school fees dilemma was dampening the festive spirit.
“It's a heart-wrenching decision,” Mazivire said. “This dilemma has led to a shift in priorities.
“Christmas shopping has taken a back seat, replaced by frantic efforts to secure school supplies and uniforms.”
Progressive Teachers' Union president Takavafira Zhou said teachers and other civil servants will have a gloomy Christmas.
“The government should lead by example by increasing civil servants salaries so that they have at least something to take home,” Zhou said.
“If their salaries were reasonable they could be going on holidays just to celebrate with their families. It’s really a challenge.”
Teachers and civil servants are demanding the pre-2018 salaries of US$540 per month.
They are currently earning about half of US$540 plus the Zimbabwe dollar component.
Amalgamated Rural Teachers Union of Zimbabwe leader Obert Masaraure said civil servants deserved to enjoy Christmas just as did Zanu PF and government bigwigs.
“The government is proving to be absent when it comes to the welfare of its workers,” he said.
Economists warned that 2024 was likely to be tougher than 2023 amid the El Niño-induced drought.
Economist Prosper Chitambara said indications were that 2024 would be challenging for the majority.
“If there is diminished agricultural production, it’s going to cause a lot of pressure on food pricing,” Chitambara said.” So food inflation is going to be very high and it will affect the stability of the economy.”
Chitambara said Finance minister Mthuli Ncube’s anti-poor budget, which will see an increase in taxes and other fees would further empty the pockets of ordinary citizens.
“The increase in taxes in the 2024 national budget will also heighten the cost structure, the cost of doing business, cost of business and cost of living,” he said.
“The effect on inflation will be more felt next year.
“The commodity prices are also expected to decline which will affect our exports. So basically next year will be more challenging than this year.”
Another economist Yona Menon Banda said the 2023 challenges would spill over to 2024.
“We can expect the same intermittent episodes of sharp Zimbabwe dollar devaluation we have seen before,” Banda said.
The local currency is currently trading at 1US$ to $12 000 on the commonly used black market.
Zimbabwe Coalition on Debt and Development recently predicted that the economic instability experienced in 2023 will continue next year because of a weak macroeconomic framework.
Citizens Coalition for Change spokesperson Promise Mkwananzi said Mnangagwa and Zanu PF’s bad governance had left Zimbabweans poorer with nothing to celebrate on Christmas.
“We feel for the generality of the citizens, who bear the biggest brunt of misgovernance and corruption,” Mkwananzi said.
“Many of our citizens have nothing for Christmas. That is the legacy of Zanu PF.”
Zanu PF director of information Farai Marapira insisted that the ruling party was turning the economy around.
“That’s propaganda,” Marapira said. “It's quite clear that the policies of the president are very successful and any Zimbabwean with a critical eye will see that our economy is doing very well.
“This is a process but we are well aware of this journey and vision 2030 is certainly going to be achieved.”