FIRST LADY, Auxillia Mnangagwa has warned bakery owners against sabotaging the government’s economic turn-around initiatives by operating nicodimously and raising prices willy-nilly.

Speaking during the official opening of a women bakery project in Kwekwe on Sunday afternoon, the First Lady urged bakery companies to operate transparently and stop promoting black-market operations.

“I have heard a lot of grumbling with regards to bread prices, the bakery companies just charge some exorbitant prices, sometimes when I travel at night I see those big bakeries’ motor vehicles trading in some bushy roads and areas.

“Business should be done transparently in broad day night not nicodimously. That is highly unacceptable and it is against the government’s will,” said the First Lady.

The bakery project was established for women to gain knowledge and skills under the mentorship of Douglas Kwenda, who operates DCK Bakeries in Midlands.

“This bakery is run by Mr DCK but it is a project for women. They are the ones, who are supposed to gain knowledge and skills. I have also urged Mr DCK to employ local people.

“We realized that if there is no competition in business people tend to charge high prices but if there are competition products may be readily available at affordable prices,” the First Lady said.

First lady urged women and the young people to take a leading role in starting their own businesses and boost production which results in competition and lowering of prices.

During the same event Kwenda) pledged to work with the women and young people in the bakery industry and he urged local people to work on production to flood the market with affordable commodities.

“We have managed to increase competition in the bakery industry and people no longer buy bread on the black market because we have flooded the market with our special affordable bread.

“Let us continue to support each other and increase production so that prices of bread and other basic commodities may be affordable,” said Kwenda.