Senators on Thursday told Finance and Economic Development Minister Mthuli Ncube that the foreign currency auction trading system introduced by the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) last week was pushing up the prices of goods and services, thus threatening the country’s stability.
Masvingo Senator Tichinani Mavetera (MDC Alliance) said Ncube’s policies have triggered strikes in different sectors of the economy and have made a full-blown industrial action by civil servants a possibility. Said Mavetera:
As we heard from the minister, the policy he introduced has become a security risk to the country.
This is because we are seeing strikes in all sectors of the economy which is a real threat to the stability of Zimbabwe.
Ncube however, rejected the assertions that his policies were a security risk and instead, blamed what he called speculators dealing in the parallel market and involved in illicit activities.
Ncube said the government has offered civil servants a 50% salary hike and a temporary US$75 Covid-19 cushioning allowance while negotiations continue.