Zimbos are already feeling the heat of the Russia-Ukraine war.
Fuel and gas prices in Zimbabwe have hit an all time high and consumers have been warned to brace for further increases in the coming days.
Petrol and diesel are now selling for US$1.50 per litre (P11.50) while gas is priced at US$2.00 per kg (about P22.00).
This increase in fuel prices has in return pushed up inflation as cost of living has also risen sharply in the last couple of days.
Consumers were already struggling before these price hikes so you can imagine how tough the going will be in the coming days, weeks and months.
The situation will be much worse when bread prices go up. Zimbabweans currently buy bread for a US$1.00 (P11.00) which is considerably high for most families.
Wheat supplies have been disrupted worldwide because of the situation in Russia and Ukraine and we have been told to await the effects.
According to the Grain Millers Association of Zimbabwe, local farmers only produce half of the nation’s requirements of 400 000 tonnes of wheat per year while the remaining half comes from Russia.
And with the current on -going war triggered by the former’s invasion of Ukraine, it means that exports from that country will be a major challenge or they will be cut off for some time.
So basically it’s going to be a very tough year also considering that most maize crops around the country are now a write off due to moisture stress,
While the met department had predicted a good rainy season, it turned out the exact opposite as we experienced below normal rains.
In other news, President Emmerson Mnangagwa travelled to Nairobi on Tuesday on a state visit and according to private media reports, part of his agenda was to lobby Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta to extradite exiled former minister, Prof Jonathan Moyo.
Apparently, the president considers Moyo who was a close ally of the late former President Robert Mugabe a thorn in the flesh that must be dealt with forthwith.
Zimbabwe however does not have an extradition treaty with Kenya and it remains to be seen how the regime will go about the issue.
Mnangagwa is reportedly also having sleepless nights as Moyo seems to be now working closely with the new political outfit, Citizens for Change Coalition which has literally taken urban voters by storm.
The party has held massive rallies in Harare, Bulawayo and Gweru much to be the amusement of its leader and supporters.
` Zanu PF has obviously been annoyed by this.