ut. What I do know is that the lack of vision and leadership is plunging the people deeper into despair and hopelessness.
To read just today that one wing of the party calls for unity between the two parts of the MDC only to be rebuffed by the other side with personal abuse and remarks about how the call for unity is ‘flawed and misplaced’ is nothing less than cause for absolute despair I say, ‘A plague on both your houses’ if this is the best you can do for the millions of ordinary people who voted for you back in 2002 and for the hundreds who have suffered and died for a new Zimbabwe.
I remember the 2002 elections and Morgan Tsvangirai’s moving words as we waited for the results. His words moved me so much that I wrote them down so that I could better recall the inspiring message when all hope seemed gone. It seems that now is the time to remind the MDC – both parts of it – of the absolute faith the people put in you as they queued in their thousands to vote in an election which we hoped against all reason would not be rigged.
Speaking on the eve of the results, in March 2002 Morgan Tsvangirai said, ” Your resiliance to reclaim your rights as expressed by the overwhelming turnout, has shaken the corridors of power. Rarely in the history of mankind have a people faced such brutality while retaining such gracious exuberance…. Among you walk heroes – heroes who waited hours and hours to vote, heroes who refused to be turned away. These are the heroes of the new Zimbabwe whose voices must be heard around the world.”
Three years later and still we wait for a light in the darkness while grown men squabble and the people die of hunger and despair. Shame on you MDC! You are betraying the people of Zimbabwe who deserve so much better of you. Be very careful or it will be the women and men of WOZA whose courage and selfless determination will earn the endless admiratiuon and love of the people while the politicians are forgotten and put to shame.
In all sincerity.
Pauline Henson.
DON’T LET ISLAND HOSPICE DIE
Death and dying in Zimbabwe
Seems to be the world’s worst
Island Hospice sends a Mayday
Needing funds to be disbursed
They have served for several decades
In a myriad of ways
Deserving highest accolades
And much more than words of praise
When need arises they must go
To be there by someone’s side
And comfort in a time of woe
Even after folks have died
In high demand with mounting costs
Their income has been plunging
And transportation soon exhausts
Scant funds they have been saving
They offer thanks for any gift
Or volunteer of service
And exercise the greatest thrift
In tasks that are enormous
Fund raising should not take their time
From more important duties
They must remain a paradigm
For all hospice devotees
Their best supporters need your aid
To bear this blessed burden
Most staff and helpers go unpaid
But hidden costs are legion
Now is the time to lend a hand
And replenish their supply
To tend the dying in our land
Don’t let Island Hospice die
© duaneudd.com
11th Jan 2007
Comment: Street vendors are streetwise and knock the enemy for six every day. A Zimbabwean who uses the internet nickname Bigbrother stated the following: “Vendors update all their prices every time the parallel rate changes. They therefore understand the principles of “real values” regardless of exchange rate.” In that statement lies the solution to Zimbabweans problems with hyperinflation. Not the solution of how to stop hyperinflation. Dr Gono has to stop hyperinflation as all other African countries have done so this far. I think Zimbabwe is, at the moment, the only country in the entire world economy with hyperinflation. Bigbrother´s statement holds the solution of HOW TO DEAL WITH HYPERINFLATION at any level. Street vendors update all their non-monetary prices every time the parallel rate changes. Excellent and 100% correct. So they do not lose nor destroy real value in their non-monetary items. We all salute their ability to think for themselves. However, your companies and central bankers do not follow the wisdom of your street vendors. Your companies do not change ALL, and I mean ALL THEIR PRICES for all their non-monetary items in their businesses as represented in their accounting records and summarised in their balance sheets every time the parallel rate changes. So the real values of ALL THOSE NON-MONETARY ITEMS are being destroyed by hyperinflation every time the parallel rate changes. This does not bother your street vendors. They simply update their non-monetary prices every time the parallel rate changes and they never lose nor destroy real value in their non-monetary items . A very intelligent and streetwise section of your society. Your street vendors. They have all my praise and respect. Unfortunately your accountants, financial directors, managing directors, bookkeepers, financial managers, financial controllers, company directors, bankers, audit partners, audit managers, audit clerks, central bankers and all your other business people in your society are not cut from the same cloth as your street vendors. They are equally as intelligent as your street vendors but they are not as streetwise as your street vendors. Not one of them can see that they have to copy the street vendors non-monetary item for non-monetary item in their businesses every time the parallel rate changes and in their accounting records and on their balance sheets and profit and loss accounts. Monetary items can not be updated. Monetary items are money held and accounted monetary values pertaining only to money where money is the functional currency in your economy. All other items are non-monetary items and have to be updated (change their prices) every time the parallel rate changes. Non-monetary items include stock, finished goods, raw materials, goods-in-productions, property, plant, equipment, land and buildings, marketable securities, vehicles, trade debtors, trade creditors, items stated at cost, issued share capital, retained income, provisions, reserves, all accounting profits and losses, all taxes, all dividens, salaries, wages, fees, rent, all interest, all charges, all Profit and Loss costs and expenses, all Profit and Loss income and revenue(sales), etc. When simply all accountants and business people in Zimbabwe follow the example of your street vendors they will save Zimbabwe no matter what the rate of inflation. I don´t know whether you know exactly what that would mean. Nicolaas Smith realvalueaccounting@yahoo.com http://realvalueaccounting.com/ Free Download of the book: “RealValueAccounting.Com – The next step in our fundamental model of accounting.” on the Social Science Research Network (SSRN) at http://ssrn.com/abstract
Things may appear normal and well to some in Zimbabwe but a visit to Beitbribge border post can reveal how
far the mismanagement of the economy has taken toll on the Zimbabwean populace. Around 50 buses ply the
Joburg route from major Zimbabwean towns ferrying people to either do shopping, sell various wares or
try to find employment in South Africa.
So heavy are the baggages that these people carry to and from SA that one would be left thinking why have
we been made to suffer so long and for how long?
Zimbabweans suffer at the border under the hands of the SA border personel who like now are carrying out
body and bag searches to the point where can safely say it’s no longer necessary.
I work [illegally] in SA but am tired of being refered to as ‘Mugabe’.The mockings are just too much. The
South Africans have this common saying that ‘Zimbabeans have to go back home every month to bring
Mugabe dog food because mugabe lives on dog food’ The sight of our sisters and mothers going back home
with all soughts of things ranging from electricals,building materials, potatoes and eggs
tells a story so real about how Zimbabwe has gone to the dogs. One South African national asked me why
these women carry eggs and potatoes home, and what happened to the farms you took?. The reality is that
once you have the rand, you find every item cheap and the rand can buy you more than you can buy even if you
exchange it on the black market for Zim dollars. But for how long shall we continue to suffer? Two more years?
stanford [stanfordnembavare@yahoo.co.uk]