Manager beaten up, senator arrested in price cut war

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By Lindie Whiz

A SUPERMARKET manager in the small town of Ruwa, near the capital Harare, escaped death Friday after suffering a brutal attack by government-controlled price freeze enforcement squads.

The shock developments came as a House of Assembly senator Siriro Majuru (Zanu PF) was arrested for alleged over-pricing and hoarding.

The Zimbabwe government ordered a 50 percent cut in prices of all essential goods last week, before imposing a price freeze on all goods on Thursday last week.

Retailers and manufacturers have been jacking up prices, sometimes more than once a day, as they grapple with the impact of the world's highest inflation rate, which economists believe has surpassed 5 000 percent.

Many retailers have been reluctant to lower their prices, arguing that their suppliers had not lowered their prices.

A manager with leading supermarket chain, TM supermarket, was seriously injured in an attack by a gang of youth militias after failing to comply with the government’s order to slash prices.

The manager, identified by workers as a Mr Chimhini, was attacked at the supermarket's Ruwa branch in Goromonzi district.

Workers said the government-hired squads, who doorstep shops to check compliance with the government order, travelled in two trucks, and identified themselves as officers from the government's Anti-Corruption Commission.

Said one worker: "The men arrived in Ruwa in a white Isuzu and a grey Nissan Hardbody pick up truck and discovered that the supermarket was in defiance of the government’s order as prices of most goods were still very high.

"They demanded to see the manager and ordered an immediate lowering of prices before they proceeded to Ruwa supermarket owned by some white farmers.

"While harassing the white businessmen at the supermarket, the gang received
information that TM had hiked the prices again soon after their departure.

"Part of the gang drove back to the supermarket to pick up Mr Chimhini. The manager was beaten up and bundled into the back of the truck despite his attempts to proffer justification of the increases to the men."

He was driven to Ruwa Supermarket where he was further beaten up. The men left him slumped to the ground in agony, witnesses said.

Chimhini was taken to a local hospital, but he could not be attended to, as nurses required a police report confirming that he had been assaulted.

Meanwhile, prominent Goromonzi businessman and Zanu PF senator Siriro Majuru has been arrested on allegations of over-pricing and hoarding of controlled
commodities after police and the price control teams recovered various goods hidden at his residence.

Police recovered tones of sugar, rice, cooking oil and soap stashed in various rooms including the toilet. He is expected to appear in court this week.

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