000.
The currency continues is collapse and is now trading at 10 000 to 1
against
the Rand and anything from 75 000 to 100 000 against the US dollar.
Maize
meal is again out of stock as is cooking oil and sugar. We bought a
loaf of
bread yesterday from Lobels for Z$30 000 and other bakeries are selling
at
Z$24 000.
The government stipulated wage for a domestic worker is less than Z$15
000 a
month, the wage of a farm worker less than Z$40 000 a month and a
worker in
industry probably gets about Z$500 000, not enough for bus fare. We had
tea
with the widow of a Supreme Court Judge on Sunday – her pension is Z$90
000
a month – one US dollar.
We are now experiencing power cuts for up to 20 hours a day, the City
has
just announced that they are going to cut water supplies for 8 to 10
hours a
day. A meeting was held last week with local industrialists who were
told
that they were going be cut as well – both power and water and they
said
that this would have a catastrophic effect on their operations.
There is a limit as to how much of this we can take. Even the most
optimistic of characters is now uneasy about the situation and the
government shows absolutely no ideas as to how to fix the problem. We
have
now had continuous economic decline since 1998, the reasons are
entirely
home grown as we have had no sanctions imposed on us, our trade
relations
are normal and we even get about US$600 million a year in aid.
Today the headline in the local State controlled paper was “Reserve
Bank
starts distribution of farm equipment”. Mr. Mugabe was on radio and
television making all sorts of noises about this and claiming that this
initiative will solve our food shortages. Such statements just make us
shudder, they demonstrate absolutely no understanding of what is
causing
this economic collapse and no concept at all as to what is required to
start
some sort of recovery. As for Gideon Gono distributing agricultural
implements! That must make all our previous Reserve Bank Governors turn
in
their graves.
Really, enough is enough, it is time to go. Mr. Mugabe and his entire
cabinet should admit failure, resign and call fresh elections. Stop
messing
about with the electoral system and voting conditions, give the people
back
what they fought for in the liberation struggle – real democracy. Allow
others to stand up and offer themselves for leadership, allow the
people to
ask them what their solutions would be and then trust the people to
decide
who is to take power and try to turn things around. Zanu PF has failed
utterly and there can be no more prevarication on this issue.
Eddie Cross
Bulawayo, 12th June 2007
Post published in: News