Harare — RETURNING late last week from vitreo retinal surgery at the Johannesburg Eye Hospital, I was taken aback by the pace, magnitude and far-reaching impact of recent events in Zimbabwe, which understandably have frayed nerves across the length and breadth of the nation.

First, it was the sudden fall of the Zimbabwean dollar on the burgeoning parallel market three weeks ago, which caused a sudden and shocking upsurge in prices of basic commodities, some of them going up by more than 200 percent. Clearly the situation in the country had gone from bad to worse and downhill it continues to slide.

Alarmed by what the sudden upheaval could mean to an economy already reeling under an unprecedented inflation rate thought to be well over 4 500 percent, the government, in its usual knee-jerk reaction, imposed a blanket price control on all basic commodities, ordering retailers to reduce prices by 50 percent or reverting to the pre-June 18 prices.

The intention here was to force supermarkets and other traders to comply with the government directive regardless of the huge implications for their businesses. This is, of course, not to imply that the businesses are paragons of virtue. Far from it. But to simply issue a directive is to oversimplify what to all and intents and purposes is a very complex situation involving an intricate web of a supply chain made of retailers, manufacturers, transporters and other sectors.

To complicate the situation even further, President Mugabe in his usual combative and grandstanding manner, threatened that government would seize and nationalise any companies or manufacturers involved in any 'dirty games' against the government. What exactly was meant by 'dirty games' only he himself knows.

Clearly, the country's growing economic ills for which no answers have been found to date is of no concern to him. This is no way to find a way out of the crisis that has bedeviled this country for the past seven years or so.

To the beleaguered commerce and industry sector, this ominous message from both the President and Vice-President Joseph Msika could only mean one thing -- they had to shape up or ship out -- there was no room for negotiation. Essentially, we are dealing with a government that is not in the mood to find a sustainable solution to our crisis but interested in just fire-fighting. It is just bravado to no purpose.

Every country in the world has its embarrassing moments and Zimbabwe is going through one at the moment. In the light of what has happened in the last three weeks, every hour, every minute that passes deepens the sense of gloom and pessimism here. The situation that is unfolding on the ground as a result of these government directives is having its own far-reaching implications for the long suffering Zimbabweans.

Supermarket shelves are rapidly emptying as the few fortunate enough to have the financial wherewithal to buy the goods whose prices have suddenly been slashed by half stockpiled on these goods. For the majority of Zimbabweans, it is really suffer continue. Even people who had no plans to engage in any building construction were tempted to stockpile on cement because the price was now down to $150 000 from a staggering $1.5 million the previous week.

What becomes obvious from all this gigantic mess is that in an atmosphere of adversity and confrontation such as that which now prevails between the government on one hand, and commerce and industry on the other, scope for rational thinking and a rational approach to things is severely compromised. The real core of the problem becomes totally lost. Instead of trying to build bridges for the sake of Zimbabwe, it appears that the government is hell-bent on burning them. What a dreadful and terrible situation!

Suggestions in some ZANU PF circles that any company that 'defies' a government directive is against the government and therefore in cahoots with the proponents of the so-called 'regime change' agenda is not helpful at all. It is a mantra and tactic that has lost all meaning. Anyone with half a brain cell will not buy that.

Most Zimbabweans now know that the 'regime change' agenda is a tactic that government is using non-stop to whip those opposed to some of its ruinous economic decisions into line. It just does not wash full stop!

In fact, to listen to speeches by President Mugabe and some of his lieutenants, one would come to the conclusion that the manufacturing industry in Zimbabwe is under the control of foreigners and expatriates hell-bent on destroying the country. The real truth is that mot manufacturing firms in Zimbabwe, although of foreign origin, are now managed and run by indigenous Zimbabweans (black and white) who, of necessity, want to see the country succeed. Even foreigners and expatriates, for that matter, wish us well.

The so-called 'price war' that is raging on is a confrontation that no one can expect to win. The government needs to realise that while enlisting the services of the police to enforce the new price regime may, on the surface appear to achieve the desired results, this is a hollow victory considered side by side with the other effects of such a move. Already in most supermarkets, shelves are empty and massive retrenchments are likely to follow at a time when unemployment is over 80 percent.

Suddenly, we are told the government is in the process of resuscitating the Zimbabwe State Trading Corporation to take over manufacturing companies that government would want to seize. Only the extremely naïve would be taken in by this myopic move as a panacea to the current crisis.

Let us, for argument's sake suppose the Zimbabwe State Trading Corporation came into being, how does it propose to take over companies just like that? Does the government have the capacity to run these companies? In any event, why was this government-owned State Trading Corporation disbanded in the first place? In truth, I did not know whether to laugh or to cry when I heard this.

The brutal truth is that many of the specialised manufacturing companies of foreign origin have actually survived by virtue of their foreign parentage. Without the support of foreign parent companies through the provision of plant, equipment, spares and through various concessionary arrangements, many of these companies would collapse overnight, regardless of whether the State Trading Corporation is involved or not.

Now, more than ever before it is time for a sober reflection on the present crisis and enlist all stakeholders, Zimbabweans with the interest of the country at heart, to put their heads together to seek a lasting solution. What we have in this country are common challenges and problems and we need to work together to meet them.

Statements such as the one by outgoing US Ambassador Christopher Dell predicting that our inflation rate would shoot to 1.5 million percent precipitating the imminent collapse of the government within six months are not helpful to the Zimbabwean cause beyond exacerbating the panic and desperation of those they are targeted at.

The point is that there are so many unknowns in our present predicament.