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Price blitz: 4 926 held in Zim
26/07/2007 14:05 - (SA)
Harare - Nearly 5 000 business executives and store managers have been arrested in Zimbabwe since President Robert Mugabe launched his controversial price crackdown four weeks ago, say reports.
It was reported that 23 more managers were arrested for breaching price control regulations on Wednesday, bringing the total number of people netted under Operation Reduce Prices to 4 926.
There was relief for eight Harare businessmen who had been facing a jail threat for overcharging. The men who had been in police custody since Monday were instead fined Z$5m.
The 83-year-old Zimbabwean president says business people who had been hiking prices were engaged in dirty tricks meant to bring down his government.
Since the beginning of the month, police and price monitors had been patrolling shops in Zimbabwe's towns and cities, ordering owners and executives to reduce prices by at least 50%, sometimes more.
Many shop shelves were now bare of basic commodities like bread, sugar, margarine and the staple "mealie-meal".
Sapa-dpa
- SAPA
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Zimbabwe Special Report
