Search
  1. Home
  2. Southern Africa
  3. Zimbabwe

Strike cost economy US $9 million

    JOHANNESBURG

    The widely supported two-day strike in Zimbabwe this week over high fuel prices cost the economy up to 500 million Zimbabwe dollars (US $9.1 million ), the state-run ‘Herald’ newspaper said on Friday. The paper, quoting Zimbabwe National Chamber of Commerce President Danny Dube, estimated lost revenue of between 300 and 500 million Zimbabwe dollars (US $5.5 and US $9.1 million).

    Independent economic consultant John Robertson was also quoted in the paper as saying the damage to the economy of the stayaway, supported on Tuesday and Wednesday by an estimated 80 percent of the workforce, had been severe. The stoppage, called by the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU), brought business to a standstill in most towns and cities as workers stayed at home in a bid to force the government to reverse last month’s 70 percent hike in fuel prices. The ZCTU has threatened further sustained strike action if the government fails to heed its call to reduce the price of fuel, which has caused food and commuter prices to soar.

    This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions

    Share this article

    Our ability to deliver compelling, field-based reporting on humanitarian crises rests on a few key principles: deep expertise, an unwavering commitment to amplifying affected voices, and a belief in the power of independent journalism to drive real change.

    We need your help to sustain and expand our work. Your donation will support our unique approach to journalism, helping fund everything from field-based investigations to the innovative storytelling that ensures marginalised voices are heard.

    Please consider joining our membership programme. Together, we can continue to make a meaningful impact on how the world responds to crises.

    Become a member of The New Humanitarian

    Support our journalism and become more involved in our community. Help us deliver informative, accessible, independent journalism that you can trust and provides accountability to the millions of people affected by crises worldwide.

    Join