Zimbabwe’s government will hold last-ditch negotiations on Wednesday, with the country’s public sector unions in an attempt to avoid a national strike in Zimbabwe that could now trigger a state of disturbance after January’s violent protests series.
However, the main teachers union has said it was not at all expecting any progress regarding the crisis and has already made plans for a walkout on February 5. The president’s spokesperson has said the troops would continue to deploy on the streets and further the state would block the internet connection again if violent demonstration erupted in the country.
According to Reuters news reports, the state workers along with teachers are demanding hike in their wages and payments in dollars in order to help them defend binding inflation and also an economic crisis that has lessened the supplies of medicines, cash, and fuel.
The Rights groups have said around 12 people were killed since the protest this month after a three-day stay-at-home strike over the hike in fuel prices which has led people to street protests and also a crackdown by security services.
Civil servants unions are expected to hold a meeting with the Zimbabwean government from 1 pm.
Deputy president of the Zimbabwe Teachers Association (ZIMTA) Thomas Muzondo said, “Today is the last meeting but we have already made a decision. We are talking to our constituency because we want this strike to have an impact.”
Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa has promised to probe the crackdown on the protesters and bring into measures to handle the country’s economic crisis.
Emmerson’s spokesperson said to rebuild the falling economy of the country, it would take time, as it has suffered a lot for decades.
George Charamba told a state-owned Harare radio station, “There are key bread and butter questions which government cannot dodge, and things are tough.”
He added, “But it would be a sad day to think that the only way that we can remedy such a problem is by causing further damage to that already damaged economy through mayhem, through looting, through chaos.”
Charamba said military forces and police would continue to remain on the streets and the government would shut down the internet connection again of protest break off.