On
4
March
2026,
ZERA
raised
diesel
from
US$1.52
to
US$1.77
per
litre,
while
petrol
went
up
from
US$1.56
to
US$1.71.
Then,
on
Wednesday,
18
March,
diesel
jumped
again
to
US$2.05
and
petrol
to
US$2.17
per
litre.
ZCTU
Secretary
General
Tirivanhu
Marimo
said
that
while
adjusting
fuel
prices
in
line
with
global
oil
markets
is
generally
acceptable,
the
scale
of
these
increases
has
shocked
workers
and
ordinary
Zimbabweans,
who
are
now
paying
more
than
double
the
transport
costs.
Said
Marimo:
“ZERA
claims
increases
are
ostensibly
because
of
the
conflict
in
the
Middle
East.
We
do
not
believe
that
this
is
entirely
the
cause
of
the
increase
as
other
neighbouring
countries,
with
the
exception
of
Malawi,
have
fuel
prices
that
are
less
than
US$1.50.“ZCTU
believes
our
fuel
is
overpriced
due
to
numerous
irrational
taxes
and
levies.
For
instance,
the
government
taxes
86
cents
per
liter
of
blend
petrol
and
also
taxes
42
cents
per
liter
for
diesel.
These
are
costs
directly
transferred
to
the
consumer
by
businesspeople.“We
also
find
it
irrational
to
blend
petrol
with
ethanol
if
the
end
result
is
an
increase
in
fuel
costs.”
Marimo
said
the
fuel
price
hike
is
pushing
up
inflation
and
driving
up
the
cost
of
everyday
goods
and
services,
making
life
even
tougher
for
workers.
He
warned
that
Zimbabwe’s
working
people
have
already
suffered
as
wages
have
struggled
to
keep
up
with
rising
prices.
With
the
current
fuel
rates,
Marimo
added,
it’s
becoming
almost
impossible
for
workers
across
all
sectors
to
manage
on
their
salaries,
support
their
families,
or
even
get
to
work.
He
added:
“The
ZCTU
feels
price
increases
should
have
been
staggered
over
a
period
of
time
so
as
to
help
workers
to
adjust
to
the
constant
increase
of
transport
costs
as
well
as
other
basic
commodities.“We
warn
the
government
that
the
current
wave
of
fuel
increases
could
trigger
civil
unrest
from
already
agitated
Zimbabweans
who
are
on
the
edge,
as
happened
in
January
2019
when
fuel
was
increased
by
between
130%
and
150%.”
The
ZCTU
has
urged
the
government
to
cut
or
even
scrap
fuel
taxes
altogether,
warning
that
keeping
prices
at
the
current
levels
will
only
add
to
the
suffering
of
workers,
businesses,
and
ordinary
Zimbabweans.
The
union
also
called
on
employers
to
give
meaningful
pay
rises
to
help
workers
cope
with
the
rising
cost
of
living,
which
has
been
driven
up
further
by
the
steep
fuel
prices.