WASHINGTON DC – Uhulumende ukhuphule intengo yamafutha ezimota okwesibili phakathi kwensuku ezine ngoLwesithathu, okuyinto etshiye abantu abanengi bekhala besithi izabangela ukukhwela mahlayana kwentengo yezinto ezitolo.
NgoLwesihlanu, ugatsha lweZimbabwe Energy Regulatory Authority (ZERA), lukhweze intengo yephethulo ledizili isuka kuUS$1.44 i-liter ngayinye yaya kuUS$1.51.
Uzulu uthe esakhala inyembezi zingakawomi lokoma, lolugatsha lwavuka ngoLwesithathu soluyikhwezile njalo intengo yephethule yaya kuUS$1.67. Idizili yona iqonge yaya kuUS$1.68.
Ngamanye amazwi, idizili ikhwele ngeUS$0.17 kwathi iphethulo yakhuphuka ngeUS$0.16 cents, okuyisilinganiso esikhulu.
Ugatsha lweZERA luthi luthethe lelinyathelo kulandela ukukhwela kwentongo yamafutha emahlabeni jikelele, okuyinto ebangelwe yikuhlaselwa kweleUkraine ngeleRussia kanye lezijeziso zenotho esezetheswe iRussia ngamazwe asentshonalanga phezu kwempi le.
Intengo ye-gas yona ikhwele izolo isuka kuUS$2.03 i-kg ngayinye yaya kuUS$2.07 ngesizatho sinye ngoba eleUkraine leleRussia adlala indima enkulu ekuthengiseleni amazwe omhlaba amafutha ephethulo layo igas.
“Lokhu kutsho ukuthi izizalwane zeZimbabwe zizabe sezithenga izinto ngentengo ephezulu kusuka emputshini kuye kutshukela kule ku-flour,” kutsho isiphathamandla senhlanganiso emela abathengi, iNational Consumer Rights Association (NACORA), uMnu Effie Dlela Ncube.
Intengo yesinkwa layo ikhangelelwe ukukhwela ngemva kokuba eleUkraine - lona elingumaqhuzu kundaba zokulima ingqoloyi - lazise ukuthi selimise ukuyithengisela amazwe omhlaba.
Ingcwethi ecubungula ezenotho uMnu Reggie Shoko utshele iStudio 7 ukuthi ngaphandle kwempi yaseUkraine, intengo yezinto izaphehlwa njalo yikuwa kwedola leZimbabwe okuvele kukhona.
“Akubalekeki ukuthi izinto zingakhweli, zonke izinto zizakhwela. Ungananzelela kumaiki amalutshwana azayo, izinto bezivele zizakhwela ngenxa ye-pressure yokuthi uhulumende ukhwezele izisebenzi zakhe iholo,” kutsho uMnu Shoko.
Lanxa iZERA isithi umthelela wempi yeUkraine yiwo oyenze yakhuphula intengo yamafutha legas, abanye bathi uhulumende usecatsha ngomunwe ngoba evele ezehlulekela.
Kodwa ilunga leZanu PF uMnu Believe Gaule uthe “Zi-politics zodwa lezo. Bayakwazi ukuthi into abayikhulumayo ayisiloqiniso. Okubangele ukukhwela kwenyengo yamafutha le-gas yimpi eseUkraine.”
Unobhala jikelele wenhlanganiso yezisebenzi uMnu Japhet Moyo uxwayise abamabhizimusi ukuthi labo bengagijimeli ukukhuphula intengo becatsha ngodaba lwamafutha.
Umthelela wempi yakweleUkraine usuzwakala ngabathengi emhlabeni wonke jikelele, ngitsho laseMelika lapho intengo yamafutha lezinto ezitshiyeneyo esihlala ikhuphuka njalo nje.
