THURSDAY, 4.00PM:
ONE of the central leaders of this week’s trade union strikes in Zimbabwe was attacked and severely wounded by a group of men — and women — wielding an axe.
Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions secretary-general, Morgan Tsvangirayi, was rushed to hospital unconscious on Thursday, with a deep gash on his forehead, after he was attacked in his office by seven men and women masquerading as trade unionists.
They stormed his office after he turned away a request by one of them to form a new trade union. Tsvangirayi is forunate to be alive — his secretary arrived just in time to stop one of the men from beating him with an office chair. The ZCTU called the strike on Tuesday in protest against proposed increases to tax, electricity and fuel tarrifs. The Zimbabwean government has since called off some of the increases.
Finance Minister Herbert Murerwa on Tuesday night announced that the government had agreed to scrap increased duties on fuel and electricity, one day after climbing down on a special 5% levy to fund pledges for war veterans.
Economic analysts in Harare said on Thursday that if the workers succeed in their drive against further tax increases, Murerwa’s options to raise Zim $3,5 billion to fund pensions for ex-combatants, would have dried up.
Harare-based economist Eric Bloch has warned that further state borrowing from the local money market could raise the fiscal deficit from 6,5 percent in the 1996/97 financial year to 12 percent this financial year.
Unemployment his at 50 percent of a workforce of 3,5 million, and official estimates of annual inflation hover between 16,5% and 20%.