Correspondent|TOP Harare lawyer and civil rights activist, Advocate Fadzayi Mahere has taken it upon herself to seek clarification from Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube on what President Emmerson Mnangagwa really meant when he said we must take the pain.

Here below is Mahere’s letter:

Dear Mthuli Ncube

My question is to do with the meaning of ‘taking the pain.’
1. Does it cover Presidential travel – eg use of Swiss jets vs Air Zim?
2. Does it include endless foreign trips by Govt that cost the fiscus?
3. Does it only apply to citizens?

Addressing a Professional Women, Women Executives and Business Women Forum (Proweb) breakfast meeting in October Mnamngagwa said, “The liberalisation of the economy has its own pains [and] this is one of the pains that we are going to go through. I am happy that you have said I am decisive for good or bad, I am decisive for us again to become a viable economy, a solid economy, we are going to take measures that are going to be painful and this is one of such measures.”

Adv. Mahere’s letter come at a time when President Mnangagwa has been globe trotting to foreign capitals yet has failed to bring any tangible investments to Zimbabwe. Since he assumed control of the Presidency, Zimbabwe has been facing a massive shortage of basic commodities, increase in prices and cholera.

Recently, there were revelations of massive corruption reported to be happening at the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe.