Several businesspersons told The Zimbabwean that they operate in fear, as the rowdy youths, who are usually drunk, storm their offices sometimes three times a day, accusing them of raising prices to try and force the public to rebel against President Robert Mugabe.
“I believe that they are products of the National Youths Training Service. They just come any time to harass us, accusing us of causing inflation by raising our prices daily. They end up asking for bribes,” said an electrical dealer in the city, who claimed to know some of the youths and confirmed that they belong to the ruling party.
The youths, who wear Zanu (PF) t-shirts, claim they are sent by Obert Mpofu, the Minister of Industry and International Trade, who is also the chairman of the Cabinet taskforce on Price Monitoring and Stabilisation. Mpofu denied the charge.
“I have not sent anyone to do that and those who have been affected should report to the police. We have a task force which handles issues of pricing,” he said. – Bayethe Zitha
Post published in: News