Zimbabwe first lady fights for retailers to lower food prices

Zimbabwe’s First Lady, Auxillia Mnangagwa, has urged retailers and manufactures to lower prices on food and basic commodities, and to consider the situation of low-income earners.

Speaking at the annual retailers and manufacturers awards, Mrs. Mnangagwa said “I implore all of us to continuously work on our pricing models so that they are reflective of the poor, whose right to food security remains paramount. Let us improve access to basic commodities to the marginalised, while ensuring that your businesses remain viable”.

The first lady said that she is aware of the challenges facing businesses in her country, counting fuel, the high costs of rentals, and the impact of load-shedding (power cuts) among them.

It is estimated that around 7.7 million Zimbabweans are faced with severe hunger. The UN has announced that it will provide food aid to 4.1 million of these people.

Food production in Zimbabwe has struggled substantially due to the current drought - thought to be the worst in southern Africa in ten years - and runaway inflation. The country was formerly one of the major food producers in the region.

President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s government says it intends to scrap plans to remove grain subsidies next year. State media reported that this will protect impoverished citizens from rising food prices.