A market dictatorship meets people power in Zim

Come to Zimbabwe and witness the fall of a dictatorship. People power works. The market had gotten used to abusing the suffering masses of Zimbabweans untill early this week when government simply dictated that prices of all commodities raging from foodstuffs to clothing should be cut by 50%, and pandemonium broke loose. Hordes of shoppers literally invaded shops to buy up everything they could lay their hands on. suits meat bread sugar you name it were grabed of shop shelves faster than retailers could restock. In fact is no longer clear whether it is the work of customers whose purchasing power has suddenly been boosted and who are on a buying craze or the shopowners themselves who are taking goods back into their warehouses resulting in the empty shelves.

In Gweru, the midlands capital where Midlands State University is situated transport crisis is looming as commuter transport operators have literally withdrawn their vehicles from the roads in apparent protest against the price freez. people generally are euphoric about the forced price reduction.

"If you compare Mugabe and the so called faceless 'market forces' you find that Mugabe is the more benign dictator of the two," remarked one shopper who had managed to buy 8kgs of beef from a butcher in the city centre. Meat prices had recently climbed out of reach of many average income earners in Zimbabwe. Others interviewed on this recent government policy expressed scepticism about whether the victory over market dictatorship can be sustainable in the long run but said they will celebrate for as long as it lasts.

By the Oracle