Hunger bites Zimbabwe's health and education sectors
The effects of the government's month-old price-control policies, which have brought widespread shortages of basic commodities, are also beginning to tell in the education, health and social service sectors.
Innocent victims, trying to learn on empty stomachs. (image: UNICEF)
Mhondoro - The government launched "Operation Reduce Prices" in late June in an attempt to cap escalating prices as businesses tried to cushion themselves against the world's highest inflation rate - over 4,000% - although some independent economists estimate the actual inflation rate at about 20,000%.
President Robert Mugabe accused manufacturers, wholesalers, retailers and other service providers of trying to undermine his ZANU-PF government by sowing discontent among the electorate ahead of next year's scheduled presidential and parliamentary elections.
However, the price-control operation, managed by industry minister Obert Mpofu, who heads the Cabinet Task Force on Price Monitoring and Stabilisation, also has high-profile detractors, with Reserve Bank governor Gideon Gono warning that price slashes would fuel the inflation rate.
