Consumers queue for fridges amid price hikes as Zim economy falters
(iStock)
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Harare – Despite the pledge of Emmerson Mnangagwa's new administration to end cash shortages and right the economy, the desperation shown by companies and consumers in Zimbabwe point to a different reality.
This was illustrated on Monday when nearly a thousand people pushed and shoved, with some getting injured in the process, for the chance to buy heavily discounted appliances at a Zimbabwean manufacturer.
The scene can be regarded as symbolic of the country’s slowing economy, with battling companies and crisis-ravaged consumers at the mercy of price increases, multi-tier pricing and cash shortages.
Zimbabwe’s economy, largely expected to improve after the exit of former leader Robert Mugabe last November, has lurched from one crisis to another, hobbled by little to no real foreign direct investment inflows.
On Monday, nearly 1 000 people gathered at refrigeration manufacturer Capri – listed as a unit of Innscor Africa in the group’s 2017 annual report – to buy heavily marked down refrigerators.
Fridges were marked down by up to 40% and this attracted a large gathering, with people stampeding for the chance to buy the appliances.
“I was told by a nephew who works around this area over the weekend that prices will be reduced by half, starting today, and I made sure I arrived around 05:00. But when I arrived, there were already people lining up.
"It was a bit orderly in the morning but now everyone wants to jump in and we are just hoping we get the fridge we want at the end of the day,” said a woman in her mid-40s as she pushed to gain entry just after the shop opened.
Desperate companies and consumers
The large crowd at Capri epitomises the desperation of both Zimbabwean companies and individuals. The companies have been suffocated by shortages of forex, which they badly need to import equipment and raw materials.
But there is already speculation that the marked-down refrigerators could be damaged or faulty products. Others have also said through social media that the company reduced prices to clear stockpiled products it had failed to clear from shops.
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