Cathy Buckle's Weekly Letter From Zimbabwe !

Gangster State !

Saturday 4th October 2008.

Dear Family and Friends,

In the three weeks since a power sharing deal was signed between the winners and losers of Zimbabwe's election, nothing has happened except arguments. So many of us had such high hopes but these are fading fast. There is no sign of leadership, either from the old or the new, and all we hear is bickering and whining about wanting more mediation when all we really need is action. No one knows who is in charge, or who is going to be in charge of what and while this vacuum continues we have virtually turned into a gangster state.

The shortage of bank notes has reached critical lengths. People are queuing outside banks from as early as 2 am in the morning in order to draw out their daily limit which is not even enough to buy a single packet of soup. No shops or businesses are accepting cheques anymore. Electronic transfers - known as RTGS's - have been stopped by the Reserve bank in the last few days and so with no cash, no cheques and no transfers, we are grinding to a halt. For all the people who simply cannot fight their way to the front of bank queues, which are literally thousands strong , there is real hunger, suffering and despair. For others, there are vast fortunes being made in a frenzy of illegal deals.

In a parking bay in the centre of a busy town and with literally thousands of people milling around, a black market currency deal was being done in broad daylight on the bonnet of a car. Thick wads of Zimbabwe dollars were being counted out in exchange for a few US dollars. No attempt was being made to disguise what was going on or conceal the illegal transaction and in fact no one seemed to even care. This is a common sight and just one of many deals going on in plain view of Police in uniform who mill around, stand in bank queues, lean against walls and trees but do nothing to stop the lawbreakers.

This week I've met pensioners, hungry because they can't pay for what little food there is by cheque and can't get cash out of the bank. I've met middle aged men desperate because they can't get enough money out the bank to buy food for their families. I've met people from rural areas who say that despite the propaganda being peddled every day in the State media, no food, seed or fertilizer has arrived in their villages yet. I've met nurses who say that despite news reports they still have no drugs for their patients. I've met shop owners whose businesses are collapsing as their employees are in queues at the banks, and so are their customers. I've met parents in total despair as their children are still not in school a month into the term because teachers are on strike.

The walls are falling down around us very fast now and still we baby-cry about mediators. Shame on us.

Until next time, thanks for reading,
love cathy.