January20.2019

Recently, strikes and protests in Harare and Bulawayo, the two largest cities of Zimbabwe, have broken out. The major unrest has been bringing the nation to a standstill. It was reported that police arrested more than 600 in fuel price protest crackdown on January 16. The Zimbabwe Association of Doctors for Human Rights said there were 68 patients treated for gunshot wounds.

In 2017, mass protests broke out in Zimbabwe due to the failing economy and deteriorating living standards, Robert Mugabe finally stepped down from his presidency after ruling over 37 years. President Emmerson Mnangagwa was elected in August of 2017 to revive the economy and carry on democratic freedom. But apparently, the celebration of the new administration did not last long for Zimbabwe people. The price hikes per liter in gasoline rising from $1.24 to $3.31 and in diesel rising from $1.36 to $3.11 announced by Mnangagwa administration have angered people over his crippling economy. The Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) launched a 3-day strike nationwide, which seriously paralyzed public services such as transport and banking sectors. Schools and government buildings were shuttered on January 14

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Despite the fact that the fuel price hike has brought Zimbabwe the world’s most expensive gasoline, Zimbabwe has been falling in currency crisis since 2009. The unrest now creates a situation where Zimbabwe has no easy solution to staying away from poverty.