According to the Consumer Council of Zimbabwe (CCZ) the family basket currently stands at US$501.36 which is beyond what many families can afford. All Civil Servants were until recently earning an allowance of US$100.00 per month and are now earning salaries which for many are still under US$170.00.

Some middle level managers at listed companies are earning around US$350.00 meaning that a sole bread winner who has a decent job still cannot afford the family basket.

^ A child begs from motorists in Harare. The high cost of living in the country continues to drive many to the street and to other countries to seek a better life.

The CCZ family basket includes costs of rent, food, transport, soaps & detergents, clothing & footwear and education. It seeks to calculate the minimum cost of living for an average city-based Zimbabwean family.

The actual bread basket varies though, from city to city.

Meanwhile, a recent report said that many companies in Zimbabwe were currently engaged in wage disputes with their employees. Workers unions are up in arms about the low wages paid by firms in various sectors. Clothing and Textile Workers’ Union president Mr Tabson Kamuto was quoted in one of the newspapers last week saying that if employers could not pay their workers enough it was better for them to close shop.

The same article quoted the Mine Workers’ Union of Zimbabwe president Mr Tinago Ruziwe as saying that the Union was currently involved in a wage dispute with the Chamber of Mines which has suggested reviewing the minimum wage down from US$100.00 to US$80.00.

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