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Golden Sibanda Senior Business Reporter
The Confederation of Zimbabwe Retailers (CZR) has congratulated President Mnangagwa following his victory in the July 30, 2018 harmonised elections and said focus should now shift to the number one challenge facing Zimbabwe — the economy.

Deep seated economic challenges, CZR said, that faced the domestic economy prior to the general elections held last week, remained the same and still ranked top on the minds of most consumers and citizens who voted in the watershed plebiscite.
The retailers representative body also took the opportunity to deplore the violent and destructive protests that rocked Harare last Wednesday as MDC Alliance supporters savagely protested their party’s loss to the ruling Zanu-PF.

Violent protests broke out in parts of the central business district and at the national command centre at Rainbow Towers, while poll results were being released, as rowdy MDC Alliance supporters went on a rampage destroying shops, barricading roads and torching cars among other vices, resulting in six people losing their lives when the protesters clashed with law enforcement agents.

In the 2018 election results announced by the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) President Mnangagwa romped to victory after he garnered 50,8 percent of the vote while the main opposition, MDC Alliance’s Nelson Chamisa received 44,3 percent. Most regional and international observer missions who were in the country certified the polls free, fair, credible and legitimate.

CZR president Denford Mutashu, said the election period was now a closed chapter and focus should now shift to the economy. He expressed hope that critical issues blighting the economy would be accorded due attention to resolve them.

“CZR takes note of the official results released by the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) and would like to congratulate President-elect Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa for being declared the President of the Republic of Zimbabwe,” he said.

Mr Mutashu also said the retailers’ representative body wanted to “take the opportunity to congratulate parliamentarians and councillors who have been elected.”

“As retailers, we believe that the top issue facing our great nation the day after the election is the same as it was the day before the election — the economy!

“It is therefore no surprise that the economy is top of mind for consumers who are also voters, as it determines their income and spending fate. If these harmonised elections have taught us anything, it is the importance of focusing on policies and programmes that not only benefit today’s economy but the economy of the future,” Mr Mutashu said.

CZR, Mr Mutashu, said Zimbabwe needs public policy that stimulates sustainable economic development and eliminates barriers to sustainable business and looks forward to continuing to works with President Mnangagwa and his administration.

Mr Mutashu said President Mnangagwa earlier said his administration’s focus and preoccupation was opening the country for business, fighting corruption, creating jobs, modernising the public sector and promoting investment, economic empowerment, realigning to an investor-friendly trajectory leading to economic growth and employment creation.

“It is our hope that these fundamental issues will be accorded urgent priority as the new administration takes off. As the industry that supports a sizable portion of jobs in the economy and provides the marketplace where other industries’ goods and services are sold, we expect that, going forward, the economy should be the Number 1 issue for Zimbabwe.

“If the economic performance is not improved for household incomes to grow, consumers will not spend, retailers will not make sales and the jobs behind the goods on retail shelves will diminish,” Mr Mutashu said.

Meanwhile, CZR said it strongly condemns the violence and vandalism that took place on August 1, 2018 at retail shops in the central business district (CBD) in Harare.

“The incidents, which affected a number of selected big brands shops as well as small and informal shops, are highly regrettable. We are also deeply saddened by the loss of six lives as well as the injury of many innocent civilians who were going about their business, including customers who were doing their usual shopping,” Mr Mutashu said.

“The impact of these incidents on the livelihoods of thousands of people and the investors sustaining retail businesses cannot be gainsaid. Such threats to the formal and informal retail sector undermine the country’s economic development and occasion unnecessary losses to our members and non-members.

“Many shops in the CBD and other neighbourhoods have had to temporarily close shop just to be sure that the environment is safe to operate,” Mr Mutashu added.

He said while CZR fully acknowledges the constitutional right of people to demonstrate peacefully, inciting violence and acts of destruction to property must be equally condemned.

“Demonstrations should never amount to a law and order vacation. In light of the above, CZR would like to call on political players and their supporters across the political divide to maintain law and order even as they exercise their right to peaceful assembly.”