Harare – Despite the pledge of Emmerson Mnangagwa's new administration to end cash shortages and right the economy, the desperation shown by companies and consumers in Zimbabwe point to a different reality.

This was illustrated on Monday when nearly a thousand people pushed and shoved, with some getting injured in the process, for the chance to buy heavily discounted appliances at a Zimbabwean manufacturer.

The scene can be regarded as symbolic of the country’s slowing economy, with battling companies and crisis-ravaged consumers at the mercy of price increases, multi-tier pricing and cash shortages.

Zimbabwe’s economy, largely expected to improve after the exit of former leader Robert Mugabe last November, has lurched from one crisis to another, hobbled by little to no real foreign direct investment inflows.

On Monday, nearly 1 000 people gathered at refrigeration manufacturer Capri – listed as a unit of Innscor Africa in the group’s 2017 annual report – to buy heavily marked down refrigerators.

