Local civil society groups under the Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition have joined hands with the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) in pushing government to address the biting cash crisis that has seen prices of basic commodities soar.
In an interview with 263Chat, Zimbabwe National Students Union (ZINASU) National Spokesperson, Tatenda Mandondo said students were forced to join ZCTU in its campaign dubbed “Operation Restore Purchasing Power” due to the myriad of challenges they face due to price hikes.
“We have seen it as a due responsibility as students of Zimbabwe to join this campaign of prices must fall if this is still the era of restoring legacy,the new government must also restore the economic legacy so as to ensure that social and political legacy goes in tandem.
“As students of Zimbabwe, we are affected by high prices, we are in tertiary institutions where thousands of students resides.
“They need to purchase different staff including food so that they survive and at the end of the day we find that students are greatly affected by these price hikes.
“Female students will end up into prostitution as a means of survival so as students we are joining ZCTU and other coalitions to call for the restoration of purchasing power,” said Mandondo.
Zimbabwe Coalition on Debt and Development (ZIMCODD) Executive Director Janet Zhou said the poverty datum line has gone up to about $700 due to price hikes.
“We are part of the working group of price must fall campaign as we represent 11 sectors who are our members and the working group is also part of our membership and we see the prices must fall as a noble campaign.
“For us its relevant in the sense that the prices are not only unjustified but also unjust those with access to United States dollars are benefiting while the majority of the public is suffering and failing to access basic commodities.
“Because of price hikes we have seen some bread baskets and the poverty datum line going up to about 700 dollars without the remuneration also matching that and for us this is a very noble campaign.
We are calling on our membership and we are mobilizing our students and youth cluster, women, farmers and everyone from the rural and urban were we operate to resist the issue of price hikes and the government to take a strong stance against price hikes,” said Zhou.
Meanwhile Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition Youth Committee chairperson, Pride Mkono said they are expecting the government to act against these price hikes including fuel and also the mark up between US dollar and bond note.
“We are here in solidarity with the campaign that has been started with ZCTU which states prices of goods that have sky rocketed must fall so that each and every Zimbabwean can afford to have bread and butter on the table.
“We are expecting the government to act against these price hikes including fuel and also the mark up between US dollar and bond note they must put a proper exchange rate that will differentiate the two,” said Mkono.
