Sunday, 20th July 2008

Howzit

I receive emails from all over the world about photographs that ostensibly show the inside of Mugabe's mansion in Harare. To each email that I receive, I reply that the mansion in the pictures is NOT Mugabe's. For the simple reason that the photographs of the opulent interior and exterior of the mansion clearly show an outside swimming pool.

If you were to use Google Earth, you will see that there is no swimming pool at Mugabe's mansion in Harare, which would therefore mean that the photographs are not of his kumba.

Bob's wee house in Harare... no outside swimming pool...
(Bob is a non-swimmer.)

-o00o-

And staying with housing Mugabe, it would appear that China - one of the countries that used its veto to stop sanctions being instituted on Zimbabwe a couple of weeks ago - has given Mugabe a mansion.

I wonder if this is the first move to Mugabe going into exile? Not likely - as the mansion in none other than the one in Borrowdale Brook... the Chinese have just paid for it.

"It may not be surprising that, as befits any mad dictator, President Mugabe is now the proud owner of a palatial £4.5 million mansion in Harare and a similarly lavish country hideaway, each fitted with the latest electronic security systems, including anti-aircraft missiles.

But why should all this have been provided for him by the People's Republic of China?

The explanation lies in a deal struck in 2005 whereby Mr Mugabe handed over to China his country's mineral rights, including the world's second largest reserves of platinum, worth £250 billion.

In return for allowing the Chinese to cart away more than half a billion pounds' worth of minerals a year, Mr Mugabe not only makes a vast personal fortune for himself and his henchmen, but is given all the arms he needs to keep his criminal regime in power, including guns, jet fighters and military vehicles."

Anti-aircraft guns? Does he really think that he might be the target of an air strike? What a waste of money! It would be cheaper and easier just to wait out nature to take its course. Mugabe is not going to survive forever, and he really can't reduce the standard of living in Zimbabwe much further!

I does make me squirm when I think of the vast difference between Mugabe's lifestyle and those of 'his' people, who are obliged to hunt in garbage dumps for something to eat.

The man is supposed to be a servant of the people, not the other way around!

-o00o-

Until we see the note, I suppose we will be held in suspense. You see, there are two schools of thought when it comes to the 'billion'. In 'short scale' countries, a billion is one thousand million. In 'long scale' countries, a billion is one million million.

And just to really confuse you this Sunday, it wasn't that long ago that this note was put onto the internet as a joke. It is now sadly looking like it may become a reality!

"Zimbabwe's central bank will introduce new higher-value 100 billion Zimbabwe dollar notes on Monday as part of a desperate fight against spiraling hyperinflation, the bank said.

Zimbabweans are suffering chronic shortages of meat, maize, fuel and other basic commodities due to the collapse of the once prosperous economy, which critics blame on President Robert Mugabe's policies, including his violent seizure of white-owned farms.

Central bank Governor Gideon Gono announced on Wednesday that inflation had surpassed 2.2 million percent, though some economists put it much higher.

In a notice in the official Herald newspaper on Saturday, Gono said the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe would introduce 100 billion dollar special agro-cheques (notes), to help consumers who currently need to carry large wads of cash even for simple transactions."

It must be easy to be a financial whizz-kid for Mugabe! When you run out of money, print some more - and don't waste paper - make it of a higher face value!

Even I, with my limited knowledge of the economy, know that this is just another step in the long, prolonged and painful road to obscurity.

I wouldn't say no to one of these notes - primarily because I would laminate it and use it as a bookmark!

"This new $100 billion special agro-cheque will go into circulation on Monday," the notice said.

The central bank has been printing higher denomination banknotes to keep pace with soaring prices. The most valuable bank note currently in circulation is worth Z$50 billion.

Gono said he was also considering raising the amount of cash people could withdraw daily from their bank accounts. The central bank has imposed a withdrawal limit of Z$100 billion, but this is only enough for two trips on an urban commuter bus or two loaves of bread - if one can find it."

And when you consider that at the time that Mugabe took power in April 1980, the Rhodesian - soon to be Zimbabwean - dollar was trading almost 1:1 on the pound.

Oh, Mr Mugabe, what damage have you wrought?

-o00o-

I have written before about the intended 'firm' grab - and it would now appear that Mugabe is going to allow his war veterans to wreak havoc on the business sector.

"War veterans have threatened to hold marches before taking over foreign owned companies operating in Zimbabwe which they accuse of increasing prices or indexing prices of basic goods to the foreign exchange rate in an alleged bid to incite people to revolt against President Robert Mugabe.

Zimbabweans have experienced a surge in the prices of basic goods and services as the local currency continues to tumble daily against major currencies following President Robert Mugabe’s controversial re-election in a one candidate run-off election held on June 27."

Mugabe has, in his recent speeches, alleged that the price hikes are being orchestrated by Britain and America. So he says that to 'fix' the problem, his government will be taking over foreign owned companies - and says he will be giving control to 'indigenous' persons.

What he means is that figures in government will be the new owners... (Some people are more indigenous than others... in ZANU PF's eyes at least.)

And to escape having to buy the majority shareholding of the companies, if he does it the same way he had the farms taken - forcibly and without the rule of law - he will use the veterans.

"Most businesses are also now pricing their goods and services according to the foreign exchange rate or in some cases in foreign currency in yet another sign of lack of confidence in the now worthless Zimbabwe currency. The war veterans, however, say this is all meant to incite people to revolt against Mugabe.

Jabulani Sibanda, the Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans Association (ZNLWVA) chairman, yesterday warned businesspeople at a Zimbabwe National Chamber of Commerce (ZNCC) meeting in Bulawayo that the ex-combatants were angry with the business community and would take-over their operations to "protect Zimbabweans against illegal price hikes".

Sibanda accused most companies of being used by the United Kingdom and the United States of America to push for an illegal regime change agenda in the country following the condemned run-off poll."

So. The solution to Zimbabwe's problems - brought on by Mugabe's reckless rule - is to call the veterans in. Not only does it take the attention off other things happening in the country (like the failure to convene parliament), but it will keep the population on their toes... a typical Mugabe-esque move.

"The government has delayed indigenisation of foreign owned companies," Sibanda said. "War veterans have lost patience with companies who are increasing prices daily or are charging in foreign currency and we will not just watch while Zimbabweans are put through suffering.

"Foreign owned companies are being used by the Americans and the British to remove President Mugabe illegally. Time has come for such companies to stop price hikes or charging in foreign currency before the war veterans launch widespread demonstrations against them. We will take-over their operations to liberate Zimbabweans from the bondage of such colonialism."

Twenty eight years after Britain allegedly handed Zimbabwe over to Mugabe (Rhodesia bought the right to govern themselves in 1923), Sibanda still hangs onto the idea that the country is under colonial influence.

If this were the case, the country wouldn't be in the mess that it is in now....

"The police have failed to deal with unscrupulous businesses that are increasing prices daily but as war veterans, we will not fail, as we are trained to fight counter-revolutionists," Sibanda said.

"Let me warn those who are also charging in foreign currency that we are coming. It is a warning and we do not want to hear you complaining when we pounce on you.

"We know some have got money to hire the most brilliant lawyers but you must know that when we come there will be no time for that and we will not be deterred, we did it during the land reform and why would we fail Zimbabweans now."

-o00o-

There are so many people in Zimbabwe, who are qualified in various sectors, and yet their specialities cannot be used, either in Zimbabwe or elsewhere in the world. Because in Zimbabwe the employment market has collapsed and no employer can pay the required salaries - and they are unable to offer their services elsewhere in the world because obtaining a Zimbabwean passport is hugely expensive.

"Zimbabwe's Registrar general has increased passport fees by more than 2000 percent with effect from last Thursday.

An ordinary passport for an adult now costs Z$1 trillion up from Z$500 million while an ordinary passport for children under 12 years now costs Z$500 billion from the previous fee of Z$300 million.

An adult executive passport processed within 24-hours now costs Z$5 trillion, up from Z$1 billion in April this yea while a similar one for a child now costs Z$2,5 trillion from Z$800 million.

The cost of urgent passports also went up with effect from July 17, 2008. An urgent passport processed within three working days now costs Z$3 trillion from Z$800 million for an adult and Z$1,5 trillion for children under 12 years."

With prices like this, who can afford any travel documents? I was lucky. My Zimbabwean passport was renewed in 1996 whilst I was working for an international trucking company.

For security purposes, I have removed my signature, my date
of birth and my Zimbabwe ID number. Let's put it this way.
If they want to know more about me, they can work for it!
(And yes, that is me, clean shaven and rather young...)

I have written before on this page as to the reaction of the Mugabe regime when I applied for an extension to my passport. I now have a British passport.

But I do feel for the people that are just unable to afford these prices...

-o00o-

"Soldiers, partly blamed for the brutal wave of violence that gripped the country before the 27 June presidential election run-off, have been awarded hefty salary increases ranging between $3 trillion and $10 trillion.

Several Zimbabwe National Army (ZNA) officers confirmed the developments to The Standard amid reports that the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) had sanctioned a daily withdrawal limit of $1 trillion for the soldiers.

The RBZ is now responsible for procuring army supplies and salaries for the security forces."

Mugabe lives under the misapprehension that loyalties are bought and that people in the armed forces are happier the more money that is thrown at them.

With the money becoming harder to get with the German printers withdrawing (even though Gono says he has arranged an alternative), it follows that it will also become harder for Mugabe to procure the money required to keep his armed forces sweet.

It was interesting to note that Mugabe looked after the army, but overlooked the police.

"However, while the soldiers were excited about their windfall, it was not the same story among other arms of the security forces such as the police.

"As police officers, we are not aware that we will get hefty salary increments," said an officer speaking on condition of anonymity. "The government is afraid of soldiers and we are not surprised that they have awarded them a lot of money."

Corporals saw their salaries ballooning from $150 billion to $2,5 trillion while sergeants are now earning $4,7 trillion, up from $180 billion.

This means while the rest of the Zimbabwean population is only able to withdraw a paltry $100 billion at a time - only enough to get them to and from work - soldiers are the only ones whistling merrily all the way to the bank."

Imagine that. You go to the cash machine to withdraw the daily maximum limit, and it is paid to you in one lousy note... and that is not enough to buy a loaf of bread - should you be lucky enough to find a loaf for sale...

-o00o-

And finally, only because I can, there is an email doing the rounds, with the title: "Those were the days, my friend," which has this picture as reminder of just how far the country has slipped.

Click the graphic to get a better view. (When I showed my

wife this, she said exactly that: "Those were the days"...)

-o00o-

Take care.

'debvhu