By Fanuel Chinowaita
Mutare, 2 May 2026 – The Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) has launched a blistering assault on government economic policy, accusing the ruling elite of deliberately running “some of the worst economic policies in Africa” to enrich a well-connected cabal while millions of workers sink deeper into destitution.
In a combative May Day address at Moffat Hall, Sakubva, National Chairperson of Young Workers Marvelous Tawomera, speaking on behalf of ZCTU President Florence Taruvinga charged that the economy has been captured by cartels and middlemen who enjoy state protection, leaving workers crushed by punishing taxes, collapsing services. and wages that no longer buy dignity.
“Our clarion call to government is: serve and save the people, not serve and save zvigananda (gangsters),” the ZCTU declared, drawing roars from workers gathered under the theme
“Constitutionalism, Social Justice: Workers United for Decent Work and Economic Development.”
The labour centre trained its fire on a tax regime it described as blood-sucking and lopsided. It revealed that workers currently contribute 22 percent of their earnings in taxes while companies pay a comparative rate of only 9 percent, citing Zimbabwe Revenue Authority figures. It demanded an immediate downward review of Pay As You Earn bands and a blanket tax exemption for all employees earning below the Poverty Datum Line.
“Why do we have blood-sucking taxes? Why do we have middlemen at the very nerve centre of the economic anatomy?” the ZCTU asked, pointing to the fuel industry. It accused policy makers of sabotaging the National Oil Company of Zimbabwe in order to protect private cartels, resulting in pump prices that rank among the highest on the continent. The controversial practice of blending petrol was singled out as a ruse that ultimately raises costs for the poor.
The federation went further, accusing unnamed senior officials of owning trucking companies and blocking a policy that would compel all bulk freight to move by rail – a measure it said would slash transport costs and save public roads. “The policy maker owns trucking companies,” the statement said bluntly. “The answer is clear.”
The broadside came against the backdrop of a fresh wave of fuel-driven price increases that have rendered basic commodities unaffordable for most households. The ZCTU hotly disputed the official February Total Consumption Poverty Line of roughly US$302 for a family of six, siding with independent economists who place the real figure closer to US$900. “It is not reflective of the daily lived realities factoring actual market prices for food, fuel, and healthcare,” it said.
Workers’ incomes, the federation charged, remain a national embarrassment. It traced the regression of civil service salaries from a full US$540 a month in 2017 to a current range of US$370–US$375, insisting that the least-paid government worker has still not recovered pre-2017 levels. The statutory minimum wage of US$150 was dismissed as “a mockery”.
“This ‘growth’ only makes sense to us if it translates to transforming the life of the low-key citizen,” the ZCTU said, referring to Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube’s recent affirmation of a 5 percent economic growth target. It demanded that any expansion must mean lowered taxes, improved well-being, and functional social services – not just statistics.
Warming to its theme of elite capture, the ZCTU branded the extreme wealth flaunted by oligarchs a manifestation of government policy. It referenced recent public reports of US$3.6 million in cash and car donations being distributed to Members of Parliament while the majority cannot afford three meals a day.
“The gap between the rich and the poor is self-manifesting,” the federation warned. “We see rising oligarchs displaying filthy wealth and holding the majority at ransom, all under the watch of the government.”
The 2026 May Day demands included decisive action against corruption in both public and private sectors, nationalisation of mineral resource benefits under the banner of “Mineral Resources Nationalism”, and an immediate halt to what the ZCTU called the government’s habit of rewarding insiders before ordinary citizens. “The governments have presided over our suffering,” the message concluded, “and any extension of their terms in office is an extension of poverty and suffering to workers.”