Boxes and boxes of cash (but not for everyone)
Cash is a commodity in short supply and an individual is only allowed to draw 1,5 million per day, enough to fill about a hand held shopping basket. This morning, a personal friend of mine went to withdraw money at a local Bank.
Directly in front of this person was a rather shabby looking man with a large cardboard box and a suitcase on wheels.
When his turn came, the teller proceeded to hand over bundle after bundle of bank notes to him. He filled the suitcase and the box and, to accommodate the rest, he took off his jersey, tied up the sleeves, and placed the balance inside.
When it was my friend’s turn, he asked the teller if the cash withdrawal limit had been changed?
After looking around, the teller advised that this was on the instruction of Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe and that this money would be used to buy up forex (foreign currency on the black market) in Bulawayo. The teller advised that this was not the first time that this had happened.
I believe that the “poor-man’s dress code” is par for the course, although the people involved of course travel in up-market vehicles.
July 3rd, 2007 12:07
Love your blog - please keep the stories coming.
My wife is from Bulawayo (left in the 80’s) - it is sad to see a once strong country crumbling in this way.
July 4th, 2007 00:18
I remember vividly the day the Ian Smith airforce of Southern Rhodesia bombed Chikumbi camp a few kilometres from Lusaka. The scene was surreal, many lay dead that day, later Kenneth Kaunda soothed the nation, stating this was a necessary sacrifice to free our brothers and sisters from colonialism. Zimbabwe is has now been independent for more than 27 years. How this beautiful country with so much resource and potential can now rank lower than war torn Congo DR or Angola is disheartening and an insult the memory of some many that died for it’s independence.As a Zambian who lived through era when our former president Kaunda broke off relations with the IMF and world bank- foreign exchange,food, and fuel shortages resulted. The nation stood against the Kaunda regime-yes he too used vigilantes ( green bombers), the police and intelligence services to intimidate the civil society. In the end however we won by perseverance and committement. I urge you to bring to bear pressure on Mugabe.Students should have access to information, is there any independent radio stations in Harare? Governments are formed to serve peoples basic needs for security, civic services ( health /education/land administration etc) therefore when a goverment’s policies threaten or deny people access to these needs it is the people’s duty to remove such a government. I call upon right thinking Zimbabweeans to honor the memory of those that dead for this your great country- PLEASE REMOVE THE SHAME THAT TURNS SO MANY IN THEIR GRAVES….
July 8th, 2007 02:19
Just be thankful you aren’t living in Amerika, the most hated country in the history of the world. At least there isn’t racism in Zimbabwe, because there’s no Bush and his racist Repulikans.