Prominent lawyer and Harare East legislator Tendai Biti says the year 2020 was a tough one for the majority of Zimbabweans and 2021 will not provide a respite for the suffering masses.
Biti, who is now MDC Alliance co-vice president, on Thursday warned that 2021 will be characterised by price increases in bread, fuel, electricity, and other basic commodities, creating inflationary pressures. He said:
The price of bread, fuel, electricity and tollgate fees have gone up in recent weeks generating more inflation pressures.
However, it is the over-taxation of workers particularly the irrational presumptive taxes that will create chaos and Armageddon in 2021. A tough year awaits Zimbabwe.
Biti blamed the economic hardships on what he calls “an illegitimate predatory kakistocracy” whose “sideshows, spin or propaganda” about better economic performance has been unmasked.
The former Finance Minister said he had predicted before, the parallel market for the Zimbabwe dollar against the US currency had ended in 2020 at US$1: $130.
However, in contrast to Biti’s gloomy prognosis on the state of the economy, President Emmerson Mnangagwa on Wednesday said, “indisputable success continues to be scored in all sectors” of the economy.
Mnangagwa told ZANU PF Central Committee members that the party is delivering on the promises it made to the electorate.