Mnangagwa cracks whip

PRESIDENT Mnangagwa yesterday said Government will not allow business to unjustifiably increase prices, neither will it tolerate saboteurs manipulating the market to create artificial shortages of goods. The Head of State and Government and Commander-in-Chief of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces further warned that political positions were not a licence to loot.

Addressing the Zanu-PF Central Committee at the party headquarters in Harare yesterday, the President said he was alive to the machinations of detractors.

"Government is fully aware of the machinations by some detractors and economic opportunists who are bent on creating despondency in the country through the manipulation of the foreign currency market and creating artificial shortages," he said.

"This has caused untold suffering to our people. As a listening President, I have heard their cries and my Government is determined to provide solutions to these perennial challenges.

"The lifting of the ban of Statutory Instrument (SI) 122 is one such move meant to provide interim relief to our people. My Government will neither let people go without basic commodities, nor allow the willy-nilly depletion of incomes by a few rogue businesses and persons."

President Mnangagwa said Government, through the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ), ensured the lifting of SI 122 to cushion people, especially as the nation approached the festive season.

"The social media is driving deliberate panic buying of fuel and other commodities. Let me assure you that as of yesterday we had begun to fund the market, we now have three times more fuel than is necessary," he said.

"However, the medium to long-term solutions lie in production. The manufacturing sector must be revived and our agriculture sector must produce more for feedstock into our industries.

"Stakeholders in all sectors of the economy must aggressively and deliberately set targets to grow their sectors for us to realise the economic growth we desire."

President Mnangagwa urged party members to lead by example through maximum land utilisation.

"Our people at grassroots level should also be organised and trained to enter the horticulture industry," he said.

"I urge you to think outside the box and explore means of leveraging on our agriculture to generate more foreign currency."

President Mnangagwa challenged party cadres to take a keen interest in the development of scientific thinking, inventions and innovation.