Zimbabwe Business Watch : Week 31
A military style police deployment is underway to deal effectively with the business community who are accused of pursuing the agenda of regime change. There is fear and apprehension and some people are being detained for literally for having the new prices displayed in the wrong position the packaging. Anything goes and any excuse will allow for arrests. Larger companies are being forced to stay open and trade at prices and volumes determined by the “Task Force”. At random, Price Inspectors will descend on shops and businesses and change prices and return again in a few days and force the prices down further. Some items are now being sold for less than 25% of their market value. Most factories remain open but operating only at symbolic levels to satisfy the authorities. Goods are in desperately short supply as the economy virtually grinds to a halt with the exception of exporters, Toll manufacturers and mines. Food is becoming scarce which may lead to social unrest.
July 31st, 2007 10:11
Article in the UK’s Telegraph:
http://tinyurl.com/23bk7r
As it says - I wonder if the supermarket to the elite will be made to lower its prices.
August 3rd, 2007 02:22
And the wheel goes round and round and round. It seems the “M” regime may bring collapse before they have the chance to rig the upcoming elections. It is a little tough to hold (even farcical) elections in the midst of chaos and anarchy. But then, maybe they think that is the easy way to do it. Wait for collapse and then declare a state of emergency & marshal law. The end game can not be too far off, given that the UN is positioning their food aid now.
I have recently read that the UN is preparing for a human disaster in Zimbabwe. The following quote from the article on the BBC news website describes the near term scenario”
“It (UN) has appealed for $118 million dollars (£58 million) in aid from international donors.
“WFP plans to feed more than 10 times the current number of beneficiaries over the next eight months to avert the threat of widespread hunger, but to do this we need more donations and we need them immediately,”
Of course, what they will also need is permission to enter the country and undertake this humanitarian mission. Will be interesting to watch and see if they get “invited”
August 3rd, 2007 17:46
found the following article from 19 July, 2007
http://www.afrol.com/articles/26127
I wonder what the response of ZANU-PF to this is?
The Zimbabwean people deserve to know that the west has not forgotten them, as some might try to imply.