- Dear Family and Friends,
-
- Having just come to terms with writing cheques using
millions of dollars, working out how many zeroes to add and being very
careful about counting digits on the ends of prices before I purchase things,
this week all that carefully accumulated knowledge became rather pointless.
I spent one afternoon this week listening to the Minister of Finance presenting
Zimbabwe's 2006 budget. Millions were gone completely and all the figures
were billions and trillions. I sort of lost the thread right near the beginning
of the budget presentation when I heard the announcement that the national
football team had been allocated 10 billion dollars. I already have to
consult my dictionary to work out how many millions make a billion but
when I tried to tap in ten billion dollars to see how much each player
may get, it didn't work. My calculator has only got enough digit spaces
for nine billion and after that it reverts to gobbledy gook and so I just
sat in stunned open mouthed silence listening to next years budget.
-
- It looks like the way things are going in Zimbabwe, and
the speed at which they are getting there, I might not have to worry about
how many zeroes to add to get billions after all. A lot of the numbers
being used in the budget this week were in trillions and unless some clever
cookie invents a bigger calculator, hey, I'm out! My dictionary tells me
that a trillion is a million million but that until quite recently it used
to be a million, million, million - either way there are just too many
zeroes and my head spins in dizzy circles trying to understand it all.
-
- It wasn't just numbers getting my head spinning this
week but also quite a large number of words. The Minister of Finance announced
that agriculture had declined by 12.8% in 2005 but that this would change
dramatically and agriculture would increase by 14% in 2006. He said: "Government
is committed to enforce utmost discipline in the agricultural sector. Any
disruption of farming activities is not in the national interest and will
not be tolerated." This statement was met with jeers, scornful laughter
and derisive comments by MP's in the House. It comes at a time when commercial
farming continues to be the most dangerous and uncertain occupation in
a country where millions of people go to bed hungry every day.
-
- In the last three months over 60 commercial farmers have
been thrown off their properties; last week a commercial farmer in Harare
West was murdered and a dairy farm in Beatrice which produces nine thousand
litres of milk a day was besieged by none other than a High Court Judge
who demanded the owners leave as this was now his farm. Nine thousand litres
of milk, by the way, at last week's price, was worth 270 million dollars
a day - no wonder his Honour wanted the farm! So, the Minister's stern
words are painfully hollow because without political backing, enforcement
at all levels from the bottom right up to the top and plain and clear instructions
to Zimbabwe's police - and judges - they are mere words. What a shame words
don't fill tummies.
-
- Zimbabwe's budget in 2007 will, by all accounts have
to be in Zillions and I shudder at the thought because my dictionary doesn't
define a zillion it just says it is an "indefinite large number."
Oops.
-
- Until next week, love cathy.
-
- Copyright cathy buckle 3rd December 2005. http://africantears.netfirms.com
My books "African Tears" and "Beyond Tears" are available
from: orders@africabookcentre.com
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