How greed stole Christmas for poor Zimbabweans

Christmas is supposed to be the season for good cheer, but for most Zimbabweans this year will be another difficult festive season as they struggle to put food on the table.

It has been yet another difficult year for the ordinary citizen as it was marked by the rising cost of living and the increasingly tough economic situation in the country.

Thousands of people were forced to migrate to countries such as the United Kingdom, mostly to do care work, as it had become difficult to feed their families in an environment marred by high inflation and currency collapse.

The first half of the year was punctuated by heightened hyperinflation, which eroded people’s earnings and accelerated the collapse of service delivery in urban areas with deadly consequences.

Zimbabwe has been gripped by a cholera outbreak for most of this year, which has led to the death of many people in both rural and urban areas.

The cholera outbreak is largely attributed to the collapse of water and sewer infrastructure, especially in urban areas.

It has been difficult to bring the outbreak under control because Zimbabwe’s health delivery system has been severely weakened by brain drain and shortages of drugs.

President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s government this year implemented a number of policies to try and reverse the collapse of the economy and the majority of the interventions are going to leave the poor poorer.

For example Finance minister Mthuli Ncube last month unveiled the 2024 budget that will see Zimbabweans, who are already among the most taxed people in the world, paying more in taxes from next month.

According to the budget, standard passport fees will go up to US$150 from the current US$120.

Ncube also introduced a 1% wealth tax on home owners with properties worth at least US$250 000.

In January toll fees on the Harare to Beitbridge and Plumtree-Bulawayo-Harare-Mutare highways will be pegged at US$3 from the current US$2. Initaially the minister had proposed a 150% rise to US$5 from US$2.

Ncube also introduced a sugar tax that will have serious implications for many businesses and may even result in job losses as well as inflation.

These punitive measures would not be necessary if those charged with the stewardship of the country’s resources were not fixated with lining their pockets.

It was this year that the Qatar-based television news network, Al Jazeera, exposed how politically exposed elites were raking in millions of dollars by smuggling gold to Dubai.

Over nine months after the scandal exploded, no action has been taken against those who were implicated.

This is just one illustration of how greedy political elites are driving millions into poverty and that is how our Christmas is stolen every year.