5 woes Zimbabweans face every day

Zimbabwe has come to a standstill following violent protests that broke out on Monday.

Citizens have taken to social media to explain that the hopes and expectations that came with the end of Robert Mugabe's reign and the beginning of President Emmerson Mnangagwa's term have not been realised. Instead they have faced fuel shortages, fuel price hikes, a continuing currency crisis and a strike by doctors.

Here are five big problems Zimbabweans are facing.

Fuel shortages and hikes

Protests hit the country just two days after Mnangagwa announced that the price of fuel had more than doubled. The price of diesel went from US $1.38 to $3.11 a litre, while petrol went up from $1.43 to $3.31.

The announcement triggered panic buying as many anticipated that the price of goods and services, particularly food and transport, would spike. 

In November, Zimbabwe's fuel shortage escalated as a result of the government's failure to raise foreign currency on time. 

Currency crisis

The country's struggle to secure foreign currency has affected the public and private sectors on a large scale.

Beverage company Delta, which supplies Coca-Cola, Sprite, Fanta as well as Castle Lager, announced in January that it would no longer accept bond notes and mobile money as currencies to buy their products.

Many local companies have started requesting foreign currency from consumers, especially for imported products.

AFP reported on January 12 that Zimbabwe was expecting to reintroduce a local currency in the next 12 months after using the US dollar and regional currencies for a decade. 

Doctors on strike

In early January, Zimbabwean doctors downed tools and stopped attending to emergency cases. The doctors took to the streets over long-standing grievances,  including better working conditions, the provision of drugs in hospitals and better remuneration in US dollars.

At some point, the government threatened to replace the striking doctors by recruiting graduates. But they snubbed the offer and stood in solidarity with the health professionals.

The strike was called to an end on January 10, with the government refusing to pay them in dollars.

Drought and water shortages

Bulawayo and Harare are expecting major cuts for up to 48 hours at a time due to low rainfall. 

According to TimesLIVE, water supply in Harare currently sits at 272 megalitres a day, despite the daily demand of 450 megalitres.

The agricultural sector is expecting a difficult season due to the low rainfall induced by El Niño until March.  The drought is expected to drive food prices even higher. 

Workers' demands 

Civil servant unions have rejected the government's proposed 10% salary increase which would result in a $41 increase for the lowest-paid employees.

About 300,000 civil servants are expected to embark on a full-blown strike in the coming weeks. 

The Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions has called for a three-day stay-away that has left commuters stranded and many shops closed in Harare as public transport also joined the protest action.