16 very long hours …
December 6th, 2005
The fuel crisis is going beyond the ridiculous.
Last week a friend’s employee was on his way to work when the emergency taxi he was riding in was involved in an accident. Fortunately nobody was seriously hurt but Dumi (name changed) did crack his head on the un-upholstered roof of the vehicle and had a rather nasty gash – being a head injury the blood was spewing out. But, Dumi was told he had to wait at the scene of the accident until the police arrived. This took almost two hours, the police have no fuel so they had to walk there.
The police finally completed their report of the crime scene and then informed the injured victims, four in all, as well as all the other passengers, another 7, and the two drivers of the involved vehicles that they must all accompany the police, on foot, to the station to give statements. So, off they all trudged, limping, hobbling and poor old Dumi clutching a blood soaked hankey to his pumping head.
There Dumi waited his turn – another three hours to take down all their statements on the only functioning manual typewriter. Finally they were told they could go. However, even though those who were injured were informed they should receive free medical treatment, they would have to wait until the relevant police forms were brought from another police station. These forms are in short supply as the police have run out of funds to have them printed.
By then, Dumi had a raging headache and he decided he could wait no longer. He was given no slip from the police and left for home to get some money to go to the hospital.
He arrived home soaked in blood and looking rather shocked, as you can imagine. He was immediately ferried to the nearest clinic, but the clinic has no doctor on duty any more, so he had to be referred to the hospital to get the right attention for his wound. So it was off to the hospital to once again wait his turn in a crowded emergency ward.
When he told the doctor what had happened Dumi was informed that he had to get a police certificate before he could receive treatment!!!
Well, this is when his employer stepped in and had a complete sense of humour failure; finally Dumi’s lacerated skull was stitched up. The story ends with the employer having to buy antibiotics at a private chemist because the hospital has none in stock.
Dumi was injured at 5am and only treated at 9pm – 16 hours in all.
Life certainly is cheap in Zimbabwe and the respect for the suffering of brothers and sisters appears to be non-existent.
Why am I Still Here?
December 7th, 2005 06:52
Hi there,
I have been checking up on the website http://www.zimbabwesituation.com for the latest happenings in Zimbabwe.I am sure that with the atrocities inflicted on the the people there,the website cannot cover every one of them.I am really glad to find out about this weblog:) My fiance is currently living in Zimbabwe,and living outside Zimbabwe and not knowing what will happen to him every single day and only having the ability to pray for him and the people of Zimbabwe has been my daily routine for the past 7 months.I pray to God that the little hope which everyone clings onto will stay in everyone’s hearts,and guide everyone of us with the hope,faith and love to get through this terrible situation.Honestly,the word ‘situation’ is too trifle a word to encompass what all of you are experiencing daily.
Take care,and God Bless All of You
Hanna
December 7th, 2005 14:56
Thank you Hanna. We set this blog up in an effort to try and give people around the world an idea of what it is like to live in Zimbabwe for ordinary people. Mainstream news tends to focus on the big stories, and the day by day experience of trying to just do your shopping, pay your school fees, find fuel, is lost to many. No one can ‘walk in our shoes’ exactly, but we can try and convey our , and others, experiences as best we can.
December 7th, 2005 16:41
What astounds me, living in the UK, is that no one tells us what is happening. It’s not that we don’t care – we just don’t know. Maybe if Zim had vast oil fields the world would sit up and take notice. My thoughts are with you all.
April 23rd, 2008 07:35
i checked out this blog out of curiosity i guesse. Eveyday i keep wondering what exactly life in Zim is like an i keep trying to imagine what the people there are going through. I may have to live live there sometime in the near future with an aunt who is married to a zimbabwean and i keep wondering if thats a very wise idea.
April 23rd, 2008 12:09
Sokwanele,
I am sure you are comforted to some degree from raeding all these messages of support and prayer.
However, the previous blogger is right to comment on the fact that we are not getting the real news stories here in the UK. For example we had a top news reporter cover Zim the other day and the report was terrible it did give us the facts and focus on what the troubles mean to the lives of normal people.
I know that here in the Uk we are being systematically dumbed down by the media and our Government and several people call our present Prime Minister Gordon Mugabe, he has raped this country of its wealth.
Sokwanele, be sure that we can and will assist whever we can and with God’s help you will find peace and an end to this nightmare. I am very cocerned that with all these beatings of people in Zim if Bob panics we could be seeing another Ruanda coming!