Four more months and it’s over- Mthuli Ncube

Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube says Zimbabweans have to endure four more months of hardship after which the country will focus on jobs, growth, productivity and development.

“The big macro-economic decisions should be complete by year-end,” Ncube told Bloomberg news network.

“In December, everything stops in terms of the big decisions. Beyond that, we focus more on jobs, growth, productivity and development.”

Ncube, who is being blamed for the current hardships with some people claiming that Zimbabwe was better off under former President Robert Mugabe, introduced austerity measures under the transitional stabilisation programme in October last year.

The programme has seen the local currency, which was at par with the United States dollar until February this year, plummet to 1:10.

Prices have followed suit but wages have fallen way behind.

The opposition Movement for Democratic Change had organised demonstrations against the worsening situation to run from 16 to 22 August but Friday’s demonstrations in Harare and today’s demonstrations in Bulawayo were banned by the police.

It is not clear whether the party will succeed in holding demonstrations in Gweru tomorrow, Masvingo on Wednesday and Mutare on Thursday.

The brutal force police used to thwart demonstrations in Harare and the heavy presence of security forces in Bulawayo plus warnings that those who participate in the demonstrations could be jailed for up to a year is likely to scare off demonstrators in the other towns.

Business has already complained that the demonstrations are disrupting production.

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