HARARE – A senator from Zimbabwe’s ruling party and 20 business people have been arrested for flouting a government-imposed ceiling on basic commodity prices, a report said yesterday.
The state-run Sunday Mail said a crack unit on price controls arrested Zanu-PF senator Siriro Majuru for allegedly over-pricing and hoarding basic commodities. On Thursday, the government ordered a blanket freeze on the prices of all goods and services, previously limited to essential products, saying prices could only be raised with government approval.Since then, the crack unit has visited several retail outlets in and around the capital.Zimbabwe, reeling under hyperinflation, is critically short of essential items like wheat, fuel and food.Mugabe’s government introduced price controls five years ago to fight a burgeoning black market in staples like cornmeal, cooking oil and bread.Nampa-AFPOn Thursday, the government ordered a blanket freeze on the prices of all goods and services, previously limited to essential products, saying prices could only be raised with government approval.Since then, the crack unit has visited several retail outlets in and around the capital.Zimbabwe, reeling under hyperinflation, is critically short of essential items like wheat, fuel and food.Mugabe’s government introduced price controls five years ago to fight a burgeoning black market in staples like cornmeal, cooking oil and bread.Nampa-AFP
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