Political unrest in Zimbabwe was looming as the country’s labour movement promised a national strike in response to a 70 percent increase in the price of fuel announced on Wednesday by President Robert Mugabe’s government.
DPA reported that the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions said it would call a national strike by next week if the government failed to offer “a positive response” to the union’s demand for a cancellation of the increase. “This price increase is unsustainable,” said ZCTU acting-president Lucia Matibenga. “We are being made to pay for corrupt fuel procurement”. The price increase means that fuel costs almost three times what it costs in neighbouring South Africa.
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