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Merry Christmas Zimbabweans, Mugabe says
07 Dec 2016 at 00:08hrs | Views
President Robert Mugabe on Wednesday wished all Zimbabweans a memorable festive seasons amid economic hardships.
Presenting a State of the Nation Address in Parliament in Harare described as a non event, Mugabe (92) prayed for an accident free festive season.
"I wish to take this opportunity to wish all of us, whatever our stand in life, whatever our political affinities, whatever our cultural backgrounds and whatever our religious affinities, and to wish all of us an accident free festive season, a merry Christmas and a Prosperous New Year," said Mugabe amid laughter from the house.
Mugabe traditionally spend the festive season on leave in the Far East with his family.
Mugabe's sentiments might anger ordinary struggling citizens and civil servants who are not sure whether they would be awarded a bonus this year.
They have since written to the Government demanding to be furnished with dates for the payment of 2016 bonuses and salaries.
The workers said they wanted their salaries before December 25 to "have a decent festive season".
The central bank issued $12 million in US dollar-equivalent "bond notes", ignoring resistance from citizens and companies who feared a return to the days of hyperinflation.
However, banks have since run short of the bond notes.
Zimbabwe abandoned its own currency in 2009 after rampant hyperinflation, which peaked at 500 billion percent, rendered the local dollar useless.
The adoption of foreign currencies like the US dollar and the South African rand brought relative economic stability.
But the gains were soon lost as the government pursued aggressive policies that scared off investors, including indigenisation laws forcing foreign-owned companies to sell majority stakes to locals.
Presenting a State of the Nation Address in Parliament in Harare described as a non event, Mugabe (92) prayed for an accident free festive season.
"I wish to take this opportunity to wish all of us, whatever our stand in life, whatever our political affinities, whatever our cultural backgrounds and whatever our religious affinities, and to wish all of us an accident free festive season, a merry Christmas and a Prosperous New Year," said Mugabe amid laughter from the house.
Mugabe traditionally spend the festive season on leave in the Far East with his family.
Mugabe's sentiments might anger ordinary struggling citizens and civil servants who are not sure whether they would be awarded a bonus this year.
They have since written to the Government demanding to be furnished with dates for the payment of 2016 bonuses and salaries.
The workers said they wanted their salaries before December 25 to "have a decent festive season".
The central bank issued $12 million in US dollar-equivalent "bond notes", ignoring resistance from citizens and companies who feared a return to the days of hyperinflation.
However, banks have since run short of the bond notes.
Zimbabwe abandoned its own currency in 2009 after rampant hyperinflation, which peaked at 500 billion percent, rendered the local dollar useless.
The adoption of foreign currencies like the US dollar and the South African rand brought relative economic stability.
But the gains were soon lost as the government pursued aggressive policies that scared off investors, including indigenisation laws forcing foreign-owned companies to sell majority stakes to locals.
Source - Byo24News
