Zimmetro — Few would dispute the view that 2012 has the potential to be a watershed year for Zimbabwe. The waning health of “our dear leader” puts a deadline on events as he holds onto power and influence and does not allow his own Party to renew its leadership and policies. History speaks into such situations and records that political Parties who fail to face change, eventually die with their leaders.
YOU will recall my analogy last year of the wounded buffalo in the Jesse. Well I thought today I should revisit this situation and find out just what has happened since then
It is now ten years since the collapse of the Zimbabwe economy got under way in earnest in 1999. It actually started in 1997 but only really began to slide two years later when the effect of policy changes took root. It is perhaps time that we looked back on this lost decade and ask ourselves what sort of price have we paid?
History has a habit of repeating itself and I do not think we are an exception. I recall the situation in September 1976 when Henry Kissinger came to Pretoria in South Africa to hold discussions with the President and then with Ian Smith.
This past week an aircraft arrived at Harare airport with tons of new local currency onboard. They tried to keep it secret but without success and we were called by people to say the consignment was at the airport. When this news found its way through the corridors in Harare speculation was widespread. The most frequently asked question was “why”?
The sense of insecurity and uncertainty has never been more foreboding. Talk of the Reserve Bank printing a new currency behind closed doors and in great secrecy and the President saying last week that the local currency would be back by the end of the year.
It is a month since I last wrote one of these weekly letters and I do apologise for the gap but we have been flat out here and a lot of what is going on is very sensitive. But despite all the nonsense being talked about in the State controlled press, I think we have made progress.
Bad government is bad for everyone except a small minority who may stand to benefit from the concentration of power and patronage.
Morgan Tsvangirai is in South Africa talking to the President, Jacob Zuma. These are critical talks on which the whole process underway here in Zimbabwe may depend.
A sudden shortage of liquid fuels has emerged in Zimbabwe – mainly in the south of the country but also affecting northern towns and cities. …………….
