Comments on: Inflation, roads, eggs and Robert Mugabe http://www.sokwanele.com/thisiszimbabwe/archives/916 This is Zimbabwe is Sokwanele's pro-democracy activist blog. It provides grassroots news and views from Zimbabwe. Fri, 21 Nov 2008 18:43:23 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6 By: noxolo http://www.sokwanele.com/thisiszimbabwe/archives/916#comment-212540 noxolo Thu, 01 May 2008 13:43:34 +0000 http://www.sokwanele.com/thisiszimbabwe/?p=916#comment-212540 4th Chimurenga,i attended this year's trade fair for the first time.I kept asking the friend i was walking with if the police were not going to confiscate my digital camera.You can never trust,the atmosphere was too tense,probably because they were hungry.Everything was expensive,too expensive and not affordable.What is becoming of a once was "FOOD BASKET OF THE SADC"?<div class="comment-remix-meta"><a href="#" class="replyto" onclick="replyto('212540','noxolo'); return false;">Reply to this comment</a> --- <a href="#" class="quote" onclick="quote('212540','noxolo','4th Chimurenga,i attended this year\'s trade fair for the first time.I kept asking the friend i was walking with if the police were not going to confiscate my digital camera.You can never trust,the atmosphere was too tense,probably because they were hungry.Everything was expensive,too expensive and not affordable.What is becoming of a once was \"FOOD BASKET OF THE SADC\"?'); return false;">Quote from this comment</a></div> 4th Chimurenga,i attended this year’s trade fair for the first time.I kept asking the friend i was walking with if the police were not going to confiscate my digital camera.You can never trust,the atmosphere was too tense,probably because they were hungry.Everything was expensive,too expensive and not affordable.What is becoming of a once was “FOOD BASKET OF THE SADC”?
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]]> By: 4th Chimurenga http://www.sokwanele.com/thisiszimbabwe/archives/916#comment-207954 4th Chimurenga Sun, 27 Apr 2008 18:02:14 +0000 http://www.sokwanele.com/thisiszimbabwe/?p=916#comment-207954 There is no better truth than what you have said. I was at last year's ZITF and i noticed something fishy about the old man. He addressed the gathering amore than an hour late. REASON.. His security was suspecting that the entrance to the ZITF grounds was had been tempered with and they took an hour roaming around the entrance with detectors and guns. I even saw an inyanga (traditional healer).. Its funny, heartless as he is ,he is also afraid to be die...<div class="comment-remix-meta"><a href="#" class="replyto" onclick="replyto('207954','4th Chimurenga'); return false;">Reply to this comment</a> --- <a href="#" class="quote" onclick="quote('207954','4th Chimurenga','There is no better truth than what you have said. I was at last year\'s ZITF and i noticed something fishy about the old man. He addressed the gathering amore than an hour late. REASON.. His security was suspecting that the entrance to the ZITF grounds was had been tempered with and they took an hour roaming around the entrance with detectors and guns. I even saw an inyanga (traditional healer).. Its funny, heartless as he is ,he is also afraid to be die...'); return false;">Quote from this comment</a></div> There is no better truth than what you have said. I was at last year’s ZITF and i noticed something fishy about the old man. He addressed the gathering amore than an hour late. REASON.. His security was suspecting that the entrance to the ZITF grounds was had been tempered with and they took an hour roaming around the entrance with detectors and guns. I even saw an inyanga (traditional healer).. Its funny, heartless as he is ,he is also afraid to be die…
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]]> By: True Grit http://www.sokwanele.com/thisiszimbabwe/archives/916#comment-207910 True Grit Sun, 27 Apr 2008 16:29:10 +0000 http://www.sokwanele.com/thisiszimbabwe/?p=916#comment-207910 Yes, it is clear to any economist that Zimbabwe's fixed and unsound foreign exchange rate policy aids corruption, and in turn feeds hyperinflation. Also the relationship between the RBZ and individual money changers is generally corrupt. The whole system is corrupt and feeds directly into inflation. When individuals, organizations or firms seek to make money by manipulating the economic an/or legal environment rather than by making a profit through trade or the production of wealth on any large enough scale substantial losses on society are imposed. The end-point of political corruption is rule by kleptocracy - literally meaning 'rule by thieves'. A simple example will clarify the point. Supposing one approaches the RBZ and accesses by some means US$1,000 at the official rate of US$1/Z$30,000, it means you pay the Bank Z$30million. Then you walk across the city to meet one of the runners who offers you a rate of US$1/Z$4 million. So for your bank-sourced US$1,000 you get a whopping Z4 billion. Magic! so within one morning Z$30 million becomes Z$4 billion. Since this is sweeter than honey, at 2pm you rush round your suitcases of bearer cheques to the RBZ and buy more forex. This time around you are loaded with Z$4 billion, which can buy you a massive US$133,000. So by now, from a mere millionaire in the morning, you are now in a respectable neighbourhood with Z$533 billion (US$133,000 x Z$4,000,000) and for each US$ you make a profit of Z$3,970,000.<div class="comment-remix-meta"><a href="#" class="replyto" onclick="replyto('207910','True Grit'); return false;">Reply to this comment</a> --- <a href="#" class="quote" onclick="quote('207910','True Grit','Yes, it is clear to any economist that Zimbabwe\'s fixed and unsound foreign exchange rate policy aids corruption, and in turn feeds hyperinflation. Also the relationship between the RBZ and individual money changers is generally corrupt. The whole system is corrupt and feeds directly into inflation. When individuals, organizations or firms seek to make money by manipulating the economic an\/or legal environment rather than by making a profit through trade or the production of wealth on any large enough scale substantial losses on society are imposed. The end-point of political corruption is rule by kleptocracy - literally meaning \'rule by thieves\'. \r\n\r\nA simple example will clarify the point. Supposing one approaches the RBZ and accesses by some means US$1,000 at the official rate of US$1\/Z$30,000, it means you pay the Bank Z$30million. Then you walk across the city to meet one of the runners who offers you a rate of US$1\/Z$4 million. So for your bank-sourced US$1,000 you get a whopping Z4 billion. Magic! so within one morning Z$30 million becomes Z$4 billion. Since this is sweeter than honey, at 2pm you rush round your suitcases of bearer cheques to the RBZ and buy more forex. This time around you are loaded with Z$4 billion, which can buy you a massive US$133,000. So by now, from a mere millionaire in the morning, you are now in a respectable neighbourhood with Z$533 billion (US$133,000 x Z$4,000,000) and for each US$ you make a profit of Z$3,970,000.'); return false;">Quote from this comment</a></div> Yes, it is clear to any economist that Zimbabwe’s fixed and unsound foreign exchange rate policy aids corruption, and in turn feeds hyperinflation. Also the relationship between the RBZ and individual money changers is generally corrupt. The whole system is corrupt and feeds directly into inflation. When individuals, organizations or firms seek to make money by manipulating the economic an/or legal environment rather than by making a profit through trade or the production of wealth on any large enough scale substantial losses on society are imposed. The end-point of political corruption is rule by kleptocracy - literally meaning ‘rule by thieves’.

A simple example will clarify the point. Supposing one approaches the RBZ and accesses by some means US$1,000 at the official rate of US$1/Z$30,000, it means you pay the Bank Z$30million. Then you walk across the city to meet one of the runners who offers you a rate of US$1/Z$4 million. So for your bank-sourced US$1,000 you get a whopping Z4 billion. Magic! so within one morning Z$30 million becomes Z$4 billion. Since this is sweeter than honey, at 2pm you rush round your suitcases of bearer cheques to the RBZ and buy more forex. This time around you are loaded with Z$4 billion, which can buy you a massive US$133,000. So by now, from a mere millionaire in the morning, you are now in a respectable neighbourhood with Z$533 billion (US$133,000 x Z$4,000,000) and for each US$ you make a profit of Z$3,970,000.

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]]> By: Faraway http://www.sokwanele.com/thisiszimbabwe/archives/916#comment-207854 Faraway Sun, 27 Apr 2008 15:03:52 +0000 http://www.sokwanele.com/thisiszimbabwe/?p=916#comment-207854 It is incomprehensible how anyone can survive any longer under those conditions. $Z210,000,000 converts to A$7348 in our currency. Half the price of a cheap new car. I admire you all greatly for the tenacity and persistance to get the story out into the world.<div class="comment-remix-meta"><a href="#" class="replyto" onclick="replyto('207854','Faraway'); return false;">Reply to this comment</a> --- <a href="#" class="quote" onclick="quote('207854','Faraway','It is incomprehensible how anyone can survive any longer under those conditions.\r\n\r\n$Z210,000,000 converts to A$7348 in our currency. Half the price of a cheap new car.\r\n\r\nI admire you all greatly for the tenacity and persistance to get the story out into the world.'); return false;">Quote from this comment</a></div> It is incomprehensible how anyone can survive any longer under those conditions.

$Z210,000,000 converts to A$7348 in our currency. Half the price of a cheap new car.

I admire you all greatly for the tenacity and persistance to get the story out into the world.

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]]> By: exbulawayo http://www.sokwanele.com/thisiszimbabwe/archives/916#comment-207770 exbulawayo Sun, 27 Apr 2008 12:33:29 +0000 http://www.sokwanele.com/thisiszimbabwe/?p=916#comment-207770 I agree wholeheartedly with all you have said. I have fond memories of the Trade Fair and plan to come to the next one where I will feel safe and free to walk and enjoy as we all should, and what rubbish about re-colonialism, if white Zimbo's want to come back and help rebuild the country, so what ?We are all in to restore and rebuild and that is why Mugabe must go.<div class="comment-remix-meta"><a href="#" class="replyto" onclick="replyto('207770','exbulawayo'); return false;">Reply to this comment</a> --- <a href="#" class="quote" onclick="quote('207770','exbulawayo','I agree wholeheartedly with all you have said. I have fond memories of the Trade Fair and plan to come to the next one where I will feel safe and free to walk and enjoy as we all should, and what rubbish about re-colonialism, if white Zimbo\'s want to come back and help rebuild the country, so what ?We are all in to restore and rebuild and that is why Mugabe must go.'); return false;">Quote from this comment</a></div> I agree wholeheartedly with all you have said. I have fond memories of the Trade Fair and plan to come to the next one where I will feel safe and free to walk and enjoy as we all should, and what rubbish about re-colonialism, if white Zimbo’s want to come back and help rebuild the country, so what ?We are all in to restore and rebuild and that is why Mugabe must go.
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]]> By: scotchcart http://www.sokwanele.com/thisiszimbabwe/archives/916#comment-207751 scotchcart Sun, 27 Apr 2008 12:06:48 +0000 http://www.sokwanele.com/thisiszimbabwe/?p=916#comment-207751 I think you have hit the nail on the head. "I admire their cheekiness and ingenuity and I long for that kind of bright engaging bold mind to have an education and to be put towards re-building our country." We want to make and grow a system allows 'bright engaging bold minds' to bubble through and for those of who are getting older to support and applaud them. Thank you.<div class="comment-remix-meta"><a href="#" class="replyto" onclick="replyto('207751','scotchcart'); return false;">Reply to this comment</a> --- <a href="#" class="quote" onclick="quote('207751','scotchcart','I think you have hit the nail on the head. \r\n\r\n\"I admire their cheekiness and ingenuity and I long for that kind of bright engaging bold mind to have an education and to be put towards re-building our country.\"\r\n\r\nWe want to make and grow a system allows \'bright engaging bold minds\' to bubble through and for those of who are getting older to support and applaud them.\r\n\r\nThank you.'); return false;">Quote from this comment</a></div> I think you have hit the nail on the head.

“I admire their cheekiness and ingenuity and I long for that kind of bright engaging bold mind to have an education and to be put towards re-building our country.”

We want to make and grow a system allows ‘bright engaging bold minds’ to bubble through and for those of who are getting older to support and applaud them.

Thank you.

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