Hope and lessons for Zim from the Desiderata
Commuter Omnibuses, Harare (PHOTO: FUNGAIFOTO)
An elderly lady was breathing fire the other day. Kombi fares had shot up in the last hour she had come into town, and now on her return trip home, an astronomical fare had come into place. All she wanted to know was why? Did the hwindis, “loaders” and rank marshals think that money grew on some Zimbabwean trees that only they knew?
Needless to say the response she got from one hwindi in particular was less than savoury. It bordered on contempt and gross disrespect for her gender and age. That set her off.
Then she said, “Munoti muZimbabwe mazara huori, saka regai tese tiite huori, asi tiripo vamwe vasina kuora!” (Roughly, you say that Zimbabwe is now full of corruption, so there is nothing wrong with being corrupt, but after everything we have been through, some of us are still not corrupt…” Read more
On the verge of self deception
I had almost done it. Almost managed to convince myself that it was ok, that things would change, that life would suddenly improve. How dangerous is that. Well, chick, bite the reality: It’s not happening anytime soon.
My job still sucks. Harare still has high demands on my nerves and my purse and I can only get $20,000 at the bank. 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
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
Harare, Zimbabwe today
As at 10:00 am GMT+2 today:
Temperature: 25°C
Humidity: 25.7%
Visibility: 8km
Clouds: Clear Skies
Wind: NNE at 7 km/h
Barometer: 1.009 atm
Dew Point: 4°C
Sunrise: 5:45 am GMT+2
Sunset: 5:47 pm GMT+2
Inflation: Was 11,2million % in August. Now no one knows anymore
Cabinet: What’s that?
Prime Minister: Unsowrn in
Official currency: Zimdollar
Unofficial currencies: Fuel coupons, maize, US dollars, SA Rands
Exchange rate: US$1 = ZW$300,000 at the transfer rate (revalued- TWICE)
Maximum daily withdrawl at the bank/ATM: ZW$1,000
Cost of public transport into town: ZW$500
Cost of a loaf of bread: ZW$2,000 (if you can find it)
Cost of a kg of beef: ZW$8,500
Main export: Educated Zimbabweans
Biggest industry: Forex dealing
Other industries: Buying and selling, more buying and selling, even more buying and selling
The $1000 prayer
Dear Governor
We say no, no, no
Give us naught
Our daily $1000 note
But give us instead some real dough
Cause our feet hurt so
From queuing for note that buys not
