Cathy Buckle's Weekly Letter From Zimbabwe !

TAKE THEM ALL OVER !

Dear Family and Friends,

We are struck with feelings of near hysteria just coping with everyday situations almost all the time now. The past fortnight has seen a dramatic plunge in the value of our money and massive price increases of everything from food to fuel and everything in between. Top-up bills for school fees arrived barely half way into the term, medical aid costs have risen five fold and as the month end bills and service accounts come in, most people have no idea how they are going to cope over the next thirty days.

The cost of medicines are rising at least twice a week now and recently a friend buying a drug to control epilepsy paid 460 thousand dollars one day and 490 thousand dollars for the same drug, same quantity, same pharmacy on the next day. Many companies that can, have started giving their employees food supplies every month just to make sure their workers literally have enough energy to do their work. Most people in middle management and white collar jobs cannot survive more than five days of a month before their entire wage is depleted. The burden is gruelling.

Life in Zimbabwe has become unbearably tough for all but a very small elite and the government have been as good as ignoring the deteriorating economic situation for some months. This week they suddenly woke up and the Minister of Industry announced that prices had to be slashed by up to two thirds with immediate effect. The price cuts mean that goods are now being sold for less than they were purchased for and that once the stocks are sold, they will not be able to be replaced. It is a recipe for massive food shortages and already the black marketeers are rubbing their hands with glee. On Friday evening, emerging from a 15 hour electricity cut, the first report on the propaganda news was the Police announcing that they were about to start arresting wholesalers, retailers and businessmen who had not slashed their prices.

To add to the air of uncertainty , Mr Mugabe also spoke out about price increases and profiteering this week. He chose a State Funeral as his platform and was visibly angry: "We will SEIZE, SEIZE the mines," he said coldly, his face shining with sweat, " we will nationalize them. And companies, we will take them all over." The funeral at the National Heroes Acre, appeared to be attended largely by army personnel, and the venue was decorated with the usual political banners, one of which read: 'Mugabe Is Right.'

Those people who can, continue to pour out of the country, including teachers and this week came the shocking news that in one province 48 schools had recorded a zero % pass rate in recent public examinations. It is a damning admission for any country to have to make and utterly tragic that it is politics of the present that is making a millstone that will hang around Zimbabwe's neck for the next thirty or more years.

Until next week, thanks for reading, love cathy.

Copyright cathy buckle 30 June 2007 www.cathybuckle.com
My books: "African Tears" and "Beyond Tears" are available from:orders@africabookcentre.com