LOCAL civic groups including the clergy have called for a virtual protest under the theme #TaxTheRich to register concern over the rising poverty levels in the country.
The protest by the Zimbabwe Fight Inequality Alliance (ZFIA) is scheduled to run from January 15 to 22 to coincide with the Global Week of Action Against Inequality.
The (ZFIA) is a broad-based network of 18 members of social movements, women’s rights groups, faith-based organisations, labour unions and individuals.
“All citizens of goodwill are invited to the virtual Protest under the theme Time To Tax The Rich from 15 to 22 January 2022 through writing social media posts denouncing inequality in Zimbabwe carrying the hashtags #TaxTheRich #FightInequality, participating in the “Festival of the Poor” rally and spreading the message,” the ZFIA said in a statement.
“The protest will make the case for greater transparency and accountability in existing taxation regimes to mobilize much needed public resources to meet growing public needs in the context of the devastating COVID-19 pandemic.”
The Global Week of Action highlights the need for urgent actions to address the corrosive effects of the excessive concentration of wealth in the hands of unaccountable elites.
The ZFIA will use the opportunity of the Global Week of Action to urge President Emmerson Mnangagwa to: “Abandon unjust austerity measures and facilitate robust wealth redistribution programmes targeting marginalized groups and provinces including a universal income grant and legislated fair minimum wage for all Zimbabwean workers.
“Finance and fully implement devolution of power and authority away from central Harare to lower tiers of government as provided for in the Constitution.
“Restrain dominant monopolies in key economic sectors such as telecommunications and energy and strengthen consumer protection by regulating the ability of dominant market players to raise consumer prices.”
