CATHY BUCKLE'S LETTTER FROM ZIMBABWE!

THANKS SISTER!

Dear Family and Friends,

In the dying days of Zimbabwe's old Bearer Cheques which have served as money, but are not really money, the change over has been messy, confusing and in many cases downright unfair. Regardless of the pronouncement by theReserve Bank Governor that the old money would remain valid until Monday the 21st August, many establishments stopped accepting it almost a week before the cut off date. Shops and companies that were still accepting the old notes, did not have any new notes and therefore either couldn't give you any change at all or gave you back old notes. As the cut off date drew closer there was less and less new money in circulation and everywhere people were desperately trying to get rid of old money.

There was a double page, high gloss, pull out advert printed in 3 languages in the press which said:"Zero To Hero, let the hero rise in all of us." Then followed all sorts of smart subheadings in shiny blue, pink,orange and green boxes which answered all the questions people may have about the new bearers cheques. It told us how to write cheques, how to pay bills and how to round up or down figures when converting to the new Bearer Cheques. (Yeah right, as if anything, of any description is ever rounded down in the country with the highest inflation in the world!) At the bottom of the page was a picture of a nifty little white pick uptruck. "Mobile Cash Swap Team" it said, "Coming to a town near you. Bearing good news." And written underneath the truck in purple print:"Money on the mooove!"

After reading the advert you sort of feel encouraged and think OK, this all looks smart, efficient and professional. For a moment you forget the body and vehicle searches for "illegal money" that are going on at the endless road blocks all over the country. You forget the queues out of the doors of the banks as people still try and deposit box loads of old money and you forget the fact that the electricity is off again and there's still no fuel to buy - even if you could afford it. Of course, the more you look for the nifty little Money On The Moove, mobile cash swap team truck, the more elusive it becomes and you are left wondering if in fact it ever existed at all.

Three days before the deadline I took myself off to the supermarket to spend the last of my old money. I had 1.8 million dollars. Just six years ago I could have bought a 4 year old Mercedes Benz 250D car with all the extras and in immaculate condition for 1.8 million dollars. I wandered around the supermarket doing mental maths in my head, and in the end settled on a packet of salt, a box of custard powder and 20 plastic clothes pegs. Standing in the line to pay, it was obvious everyone was doing the same as me - buying little things to get rid of the last of the money. The woman in front of me had a packet of soup, a bar of soap and a jar of peanut butter. Her bill came to 1 million and 70 thousand dollars - she only had a million. I gave her 70 thousand out of my purse, she clapped in thanks and the man in line behind me said: "Good, thanks sister, I'll help you if yours is short! " Then the man behind him said"and I'll help you!"

This is the real face of Zimbabwe and this is whatmakes our country so special.Please note that I write this letter for free, my mail server sends it outfor free and no one has my permission to sell it.

Until next week, thanksfor reading, love cathy.

Copyright cathy buckle 19 August 2006http://africantears.netfirms.comMy books on the Zimbabwean crisis, "African Tears" and "Beyond Tears"are available from: orders@africabookcentre.com ; www.africabookcentre.com ; www.amazon.co.uk ; in Australia and NewZealand: johnmreed@johnreedbooks.com.au ; Africa: www.exclusivebooks.com