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Zim closes private abattoirs
11/07/2007 13:16 - (SA)
Harare - As empty meat freezers greet Zimbabwean shoppers a week after President Robert Mugabe's price police ordered a 50% slash on prices, the authorities have ordered the closure of all private abattoirs, said reports.
Industry minister Obert Mpofu said now, only the state-run Cold Storage Company (CSC) would be allowed to slaughter stock.
Private butcheries shut their doors and many abattoirs stopped operating after police ordered beef sold at the controlled rate of Z$90 000 a kilogram, about one-quarter of the market rate.
Beef was a great favourite of most Zimbabweans, and Mugabe's government appeared to be worried that shortages may spark discontent.
50% price slash
The authorities had told farmers that they must now deal only with the CSC.
Mpofu said abattoirs were granted licences to provide a service to the public, which they were no longer providing. Government had, thus, with immediate effect, revoked the licences of all private abattoirs.
Although last week's announcement of the 50% price slash caused joy among many consumers who simply followed police and price inspectors from store to store so as to pick up bargains, many were feeling the pinch now.
Supermarket shelves in towns and cities across Zimbabwe were fast emptying as managers stopped restocking their stores. There was very little bread and fuel was in desperately short supply.
Sugar had, however, reappeared on the black market at about Z$150 000 a kilo, about five times the price a few lucky shoppers were able to snap it up at last week.
Price inspectors to visit private pharmacies
The authorities had vowed they?d carry on with the price squeeze, earlier this week, threatening schools that had refused to drop their fees.
Meanwhile, the deputy minister of health Edwin Muguti warned on Wednesday that price inspectors would soon be visiting private pharmacies because the price of drugs was beyond the reach of many.
Muguti was quoted as saying: "We want everyone to benefit from the taskforce's exercise."
The blitz had provoked panic among many in the business community who said the high prices were in line with Zimbabwe's soaring inflation rates, currently estimated to be well above 4 500%.
Opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai said the campaign was an election gimmick designed to win the hearts and minds of struggling Zimbabwean voters ahead of next year's parliamentary and presidential polls.
Sapa-dpa
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