Sustainability lost
Filed under: Economy, How Zimbabwe can be better, Zimbabwean diaries
The last few months have been a rollercoaster ride of emotions. Watching Obama win the US Presidential elections brought through such a powerful wave of emotions. Wonder and relief mixed with positive hope for change. There is shift happening in the world, and this feels part of this shift. But this is about America. I am Zimbabwean. Why has this affected me so much?
I feel the answer has to lie in his amazing journey. The man has won against such huge adversity. His message of change and hope for the future won out against the state machines. There was not an entirely fair or level playing field. Like many other countries, the government in power had the resources and the ability to put barriers in the way of the opposing party. Oh it was far less devastating and pervasive as it is in some countries, but it still existed. Read more
Zimbabwe Inflation at 10.2 Quadrillion Percent!
I found this article interesting:
Zimbabwe is the first country in the 21st century to hyperinflate. In February 2007, Zimbabwe’s inflation rate topped 50% per month, the minimum rate required to qualify as a hyperinflation (50% per month is equal to a 12,875% per year). Since then, inflation has soared.
The last official inflation data were released for July and are hopelessly outdated. The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe has been even less forthcoming with money supply data: the most recent money supply figures are ancient history—January 2008. Read More Here
On their return
“Pssst!”
I turned around with a start.
“Hallo.”
My heart sank. I had always known they would return. Everyone knew they would return. It was just a question of time. But none of us had expected them to return so, so, soon, with such speed and ferocity.
“You are back,” I said resignedly.
“We never left. We’ve always been here,” they said smugly.
1 August 2008 is not light years away. That day that heralded a new currency and the new transaction dispensation minus 10 zeroes. That week coins were all the rage. But we knew it wouldn’t last. Read more
Of individualistic indifference and collective hatred
As a young boy I was raised in a socialistic family in which values of sharing, interdependence and community contribution where empathized. I remember my good uncle bringing home books and articles on Lenin, Trotsky, Mikhail Gorbachev and the mighty Union Of Soviet Socialist Republic(USSR). USSR was the dream country for me. Then I went to college and embraced the values of independent thinking and personal development and motivation enshrined in the capitalistic ideology of the western world. My college buddies avoided any talk on Jack Welsh or GE because that led to yours truly preaching to them why Jack Welch was the best thing to happen to the corporate world. Read more
My Zimbabwe
Filed under: Economy, How Zimbabwe can be better, Opinion, Analysis, Advice
I have listened to a thousand critics about the Zimbabwean situation. People are busy pointing fingers, insulting and anything their troubled mind can think of. Almost everyone at one moment pointed a finger but has that ever changed the situation? No!!! Why? Only you and I know better.
In my own view, the economic situation has been a blessing in disguise. Despite the pain we went though as a nation, I strongly believe that we are a better paople. Let the sun in our situation rise and you will know exactly what I am talking about. Read more
531 billion percent inflation- we need new text books
I understand that the latest estimates put inflation in Zimbabwe at 531,000,000,000 %! That’s astounding even for me a Zimbo through and through. I laugh when I think of how so impossible it must be for people who have never been to Zim to understand how the bleep this is can exist in parallel with an economy that somehow still clunks along. Read more
Joy cometh in the Morgan
Filed under: Economy, Pictures and postcards, Zimbabwean diaries
When I saw this photo of Morgan Tsvangirai visiting banks in Harare on Friday to assess the cash shortages I couldn’t help but smile at the sheer joy of the faces and body language captured. Zimbabweans are so pregnant with hope that perhaps this time, just perhaps this one time, the rock will move from the political entrance and let in the light of day.
“Joy cometh in the morning”
- Psalms 30:5
Original photo from NewZimbabwe.com
See the story here
On The Zimbo Jam- Alick Macheso- Lucky Guitarist or Musical Genius?By Memory Chirere Although many Zimbabwean music lovers are agreed that Alick Macheso is the King of Sungura, the Zimbabwean brand of Rhumba, that is as far as the agreement will go. As Masimba Kuchera admits in an article on the Chesopower website, ‘there have been many schools of thought on the (real) strength of Macheso- some arguing about his skills with the bass guitar, some contending that it is his vocals and others proffering his dancing skills, it is generally agreed that the musician is of immense talent.’ When people agree that you are extremely talented but go on to debate hotly about exactly whether your strength lies in theway you walk or the way you run, then that is a mark of genius. You actually put people in a crisis of naming aspects of a phenomenon.
- A Dance Farewell for Isabel MatolaBy Ruvimbo Hope Masike Here is one of the most beautiful things about Zimbabwe. It is inimitably Zimbabwean. We Zimbabweans love peace, of course, among other things. We love fun, joy and we are naturally celebratory people even when there isn’t much to celebrate about. For instance young children jump around joyously chanting “Ndege! Ndege!” when an aeroplane passes over them. Now when there is something worthy of the celebration, the joy is electric, understandably so, considering how almost everything else around us is seemingly dull and confusing and uninspiringly so. As a result, when Isabel Matola’s Mozambique Dance Festival came by, it turned out to be one of the brightest lights in town, which was a well deserved acclaim.
- Kanda Bongo Man Lands in Harare With One Guitar[Herald] France-based rhumba maestro Kanda Bongo Man had just one guitar when he set out to perform at the Harare International Conference Centre on Wednesday evening, and his day was saved by a local musician who offered him his instruments on the 11th hour to avert what could have turned out to be an international disaster.
- Alick Macheso- Lucky Guitarist or Musical Genius?
