- Dear Family and Friends,
-
- Can you imagine a country running without a Minister
of Finance? And we're not talking about a normal country with a normal
economy, we're talking about Zimbabwe whose economy is shrinking faster
than almost anywhere else in the world. A country which has hyper inflation
of almost 600%, a massive shortage of foreign currency, a booming black
market and unimaginably large international debts.
-
- All the talk this week has been about the arrest of Zimbabwe's
Finance Minister last weekend on charges of dealing in foreign currency
and holding two passports. A few weeks ago the South African Press exposed
the story that a R 300 million luxury mansion was being built in Cape Town
for Finance Minister Christopher Kuruneri. At first we thought the story
of such enormous wealth and extravagance by one of Zimbabwe's Ministers
would just get buried, like so many others have, but Kuruneri, only sworn
in 2 months ago, was arrested and remanded in custody with applications
for bail being refused.
-
- Thinking about all this and what it's really all about
has again bought home to me the vast chasms between Zimbabwe's rich elite
and the rest of us. Apparently there are now more Mercedes and luxury cars
in Zimbabwe in proportion to the population, than anywhere else in the
world. As I drive carefully and slowly around all the potholes to save
my retreaded tyres, desperately searching for petrol I cannot afford, I
can't help but wonder how all Zimbabwe's politicians made all their money,
and so quickly too.
-
- Finally finding petrol just before dark and watching
the meter rapidly soar into multiple thousands I turned and saw a scruffy
little boy stop near my car and put a small tin plate down on the ground
at his feet. In the dish are tiny little smoked fish, perhaps 4 inches
long. "Are they bream?" I ask. "Kipper fish" he responds,
"only one thousand dollars each." I smile, shake my head and
turn away, my car has been filled and there are many fancy cars lining
up behind me. I can hardly bear to think what will happen to the little
boy and his 'Kipper Fish', why he has to sell tiny fish at dusk on a cold
winter evening when he should be at home having a warm bath, where he will
sleep tonight and if he's got a blanket. He is just one of hundreds of
thousands of victims of Zimbabwe's turmoil. I do not know what horrors
he has seen or what has lead him to be an adult in a child's shoes.
-
- Next weekend there will be many adult shoes pounding
the pavements on a 10 mile sponsored walk in London to raise money for
victims of torture, rape and violence in Zimbabwe. Please support or join
them on the 9th May if you are able to as it is people like the little
Kipper Fish Boy and 1500 scared, cold and frightened workers from Kondozi
farm living out in the bush who will benefit. Contact Graham for details
at zimrespite@hotmail.com
-
- Until next week, with love, cathy.
-
- Copyright cathy buckle 1st May 2004 http://africantears.netfirms.com
My books on the Zimbabwean crisis, "African Tears" and "Beyond
Tears" are available in Europe and the UK from: orders@africabookcentre.com
; www.africabookcentre.com ; www.amazon.co.uk ; in Australia and New Zealand:
johnmreed@johnreedbooks.com.au ; Africa: www.kalahari.net www.exclusivebooks.com
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