Zimbabweans have been slammed by foreign missions for failing to observe social distancing. They believe Zimbabweans are ignorant and are not taking coronavirus seriously. Quite recently, the American Ambassador to Zimbabwe Brian Nichols expressed his worries to journalist Hopewell Chin’ono on the manner Zimbabweans are responding to social distancing calls. He said he was shocked to realise Zimbabweans are still commuting in kombis.
Savanna News‘ Opinion
Highly informal economy
Zimbabwe’s economy is highly informal and most people do not have full time jobs. They are sole traders who run small businesses that can only survive if the owner is around. Zimbabwean SMEs do not have systems that function when the owner is not around.
Endless queuing
Zimbabweans queue for fuel, mealie meal, cash and a lot o other basic necessities that are in short supply in the country. People are spending up to 5 hours to buy a 10 kg bag of mealie meal. These queues will expose Zimbabweans to coronavirus, but they do not have a choice.
Savings wiped by inflation
Zimbabweans have no meaningful savings. Those who had saved a little are no longer able to get the equivalent of the money they saved a year or two ago. Zimbabwe’s inflation rate is currently at an all time high 540.16 as at end of February 2020.
Low salaries
Zimbabwe workers earn very low salaries, especially those who work in the government. Government workers earn less than USD 100 equivalent per month.
Purchasing power
The Zimbabwe dollar, the local currency that was introduced in early have lost value. It is now trading at 1 USD as to 42 Zimbabwe dollars on the parallel market