By Paul Nyathi|President Emmerson Mnangagwa has absolved himself from the blame on the economic collapse of the country blaming people who he called saboteurs who unjustifiably increase prices and are manipulating the market to create artificial shortages of goods.

Addressing a tense ZANU PF Central Committee at the party headquarters in Harare on Thursday, Mnagagwa said he was alive to the machinations of detractors.

“Government is fully aware of the machinations by some detractors and economic opportunists who are bent on creating despondency in the country through the manipulation of the foreign currency market and creating artificial shortages,” he said.

“This has caused untold suffering to our people. As a listening President, I have heard their cries and my Government is determined to provide solutions to these perennial challenges.

“The lifting of the ban of Statutory Instrument (SI) 122 is one such move meant to provide interim relief to our people. My Government will neither let people go without basic commodities, nor allow the willy-nilly depletion of incomes by a few rogue businesses and persons.”

Mnangagwa said Government, through the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ), ensured the lifting of SI 122 to cushion people, especially as the nation approached the festive season.

“The social media is driving deliberate panic buying of fuel and other commodities. Let me assure you that as of yesterday we had begun to fund the market, we now have three times more fuel than is necessary,” he said.

“However, the medium to long-term solutions lie in production. The manufacturing sector must be revived and our agriculture sector must produce more for feedstock into our industries.

“Stakeholders in all sectors of the economy must aggressively and deliberately set targets to grow their sectors for us to realise the economic growth we desire.”