The on going price madness and the continued devaluation of the local currency has driven the cost of leaving beyond the reach of the majority, the month of October basic Needs Basket survey by Poverty Reduction Forum Trust (PRFTZim) has revealed.
According to the latest report, the coast of living has reached ZWL$ 4 307.16 for an average family of five in Harare skyrocketing ZWL$3 262.26 in September 2019.
Compounded by new electricity tariffs, the report made assumptions that further marginalize poor people will find it difficult to accessing the services.
“Cost of living in Hatcliffe increased from ZWL$ 3 217.17 in September to ZWL$4 327.50 in October 2019. Cost of living in Buduriro hits ZWL $ 4 279.04 in October 2019 and the cost of living in Glen Norah hits ZWL$ 4 462.92 in the month of October 2019,” reads the survey.
Meanwhile, Finance minister Mthuli Ncube recently announced the 2020 National Budget recently which failed to articulate how it will curb inflation as well as ticking other critical economic boxes, with a lot of people questioning how the budget will it address the erosion of human dignity as the cost of living continues to spiral.
However, on a positive note, Mthuli Ncube’s budget partially took recognition of poor girls by setting aside $200 million for sanitary wear for school children particularly those from rural set ups.
According to the report by Zimbabwe Poverty Atlas in its small area poverty estimation, Harare rural Ward 1 which consist of Retreat and Hopely Farms, Ushewekunze Cooperative, Southlea Park, Cresta and Irven’s Chicken breeders was at 60.6 percent.
In ward 6 which is located in the city center poverty prevalence was at 31.6 percent, thus according to the report.
