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Saturday, February 28, 2009

Meeting - this might be of interest

Ambassador Makalima will be meeting with the Zimbabwe Minister of Lands and Land Resettlement, Hon H Murerwa on Monday 02 March 2009 to discuss in particular the plight of South African Farmers in Zimbabwe. The outcome of this meeting will be communicated to your shortly after the meeting. The Embassy would like to thank you all for the regular updates we have been receiving and will use this as a basis for the meeting on Monday.

The Embassy of South Africa also wishes to reiterate its commitment to the citizens of South Africa as a key priority in the pursuit of South Africa's Foreign Policy.

Regards,
Mr. Imran Simmins
Second Secretary: Political
South African Embassy
7 Elcombe Road
Belgravia
Harare
Tel (+263-4) 251843/52, 753147-9, 753150/2
Fax (+263-4) 749657, 757908
Cell (+263-912) 573512

Friday, February 27, 2009

Wine Tasting again


In the midst of all the change and uncertainty in the country we still manage to have a bit of fun - I was privileged to attend a wine tasting last week at 'The Stable' a lovely winery in Borrowdale. The selection of wines was terrific and we tasted a good selection of Shirez - ranging in price from reasonable to expensive. We sampled the wine with cheese and had a delightful and informative evening. I understand they do Friday lunches - and I must attend one!


I was thrilled to meet up with a very old friend from travel - who works at the establishment - what a lovely surprise

ANTI-HIJACK UPDATE FOR FEBRUARY 2009

We are hearing of robberies almost every day - with the money changers loosing their 'jobs' there are a lot of people out there with nothing to support their families with - so they turn to crime. this is the Antihijack trust February update:

February has seen a marked increase in the amount of armed robberies with the common denominator being CASH. It seems that now it is legal to trade and carry forex there are many more incidences. We ask you all to be very vigilant and to be aware of your surroundings when cashing up and transporting the day’s takings. Do not leave doors unlocked and keys lying around, this all leads to becoming a prime target. These gangs seem more focused on the forex than any other items, which have been taken in past months. For those of you that are walking keep your money in a safe pocket or place as there is a marked increase in petty theft with victims being held at knife point and their hard earned cash stolen from them. With the high percentage of unemployment in the country there are a lot of very hungry people out there, so be warned, do NOT become a unnecessary victim due to carelessness. It is not wise to keep a large some of money at home you maybe under surveillance and your movements noted so it may be wise to change times and routes when traveling to and from home and business. We all need to become very aware of what is going on out there. Smash and grabs are still happening at traffic lights and please remember to keep all valuables out of sight, i.e. mobiles, handbags, wallets, briefcases, shopping and expensive sun glasses etc it only takes a few seconds and can happen before you even realize that you have become a victim. Your BOOT is the safest place ! Borrowdale, Mount Pleasant, Gun Hill, Milton Park, Mabelreign and Marlborough have been reported this month. To be seen talking on your mobile whilst driving is a sure give away of lack of concentration especially if you are not using the legal correct ‘hands off’ appliances that are available.
Land Cruiser owners please be aware that these vehicles are being targeted and reported stolen in the Highlands, Chisipte, Borrowdale areas

Lets all make a difference this coming month

Let’s fight this crime together - stay ALERT and SAFE !

ANTI HIJACK TRUST: NATIONAL HOTLINE: 091 2 242 512
TEL/FAX: HARARE 04-309870/309800 /091 2 221 921
Email: hijack@mweb.co.zw or hijack@zol.co.zw

Tuesday, February 24, 2009

When will this stop

I was hoping to write a cheerful note or two today but these plans have been changed by some horrific news.

A friend has just been on the line to me to tell me that her next door neighbour's gardener's wife has died of cholera. she is very worried as she was helping get her into an ambulance when the woman was sick all over her. She lives in the Marlborough area of Harare - a well known and well heeled suburb not far from the city centre. The woman came in from the rural areas last week bring with her two small children one of whom is now suffering with a runny stomach and being sick.

My friend, who I will call, LL has had to have her property and house sprayed by the Health department and she is taking drugs and hoping the cholera will not hit her household.

This means that the city and suburbs are now very much at risk. With no water and rubbish piling up everywhere we can expect cholera to spread into even the most wealthy suburbs.

Malaria is also around - no spraying is being done and stagnant pools of water are everywhere creating an ideal breeding ground. Amazing - no water - but water leaks are everywhere.

Another friend of mine who employs a husband and wife team was helpless while their young child was taken from hospital to hospital to try and get treatment for an undisclosed ailment without any luck. Finally they found a hospital with some staff and the child was put on a drip. the child died later that night as no one had changed the drip! there was no staff on duty!

This is a daily occurrence - something needs to be done to put this country back into a state where it is liveable.

We no longer buy fresh vegetables but live off what we have in the garden.

We have no bills to tell us what we owe on our services - we have little money to pay for those either.

Another day in Zimbabwe? Another day in limbo.

Sunday, February 22, 2009

BASIL TERRY

Basil Terry, husband of Betty, kind and loving father to Kevin & Louise, beloved father in law and pops to Lyn, Michael, Jonathan and Matthew passed away on 20th February 2009 peacefully and quietly with all his family with him. A good innings at 88 but the last overs took their toll.

Much loved by us all and will be sorely missed.

Contact: terrys@cabsonline.co.zw

Appeal

This shows what we are all trying to do to help those less fortunate

Brendan lives near our safari camp in the rural areas of Guruve – in November he fell into a pit fire – he has severe 3rd degree burns to his legs and feet. The burns will require at minimum skin grafts.
We have been assisting him at the local clinic with medications and burn creams/bandages etc which have kindly been donated by Australians.

He is in Harare currently and requires assessment by Doctors here – due to the nature of our business we are constantly on the move, rarely in Harare for more than 2 days in a row and can not help with this part of the program.

We are looking for someone who can assist with taking Brendan to Drs etc.

If you can assist please contact me via email or 091 2256434.

Thank you

Janine


VARDEN SAFARIS -RIDING SAFARIS
RIDING IN HWANGE AND MAVURADONHA MOUNTAINS
PO BOX BW 1714 - BORROWDALE HARARE
PH/FAX: (+263 4) 861766
CELL JANINE (+263) 0 91 2256 434
CELL JAMES (+263) 0 912369 294
email: riding@vardensafaris.com
email: admin@vardensafaris.com

WWW.VARDENSAFARIS.COM
WWW.RIDING-IN-HWANGE.COM

skype: janine.varden

Appeal

This shows what we are all trying to do to help those less fortunate

Brendan lives near our safari camp in the rural areas of Guruve – in November he fell into a pit fire – he has severe 3rd degree burns to his legs and feet. The burns will require at minimum skin grafts.
We have been assisting him at the local clinic with medications and burn creams/bandages etc which have kindly been donated by Australians.

He is in Harare currently and requires assessment by Doctors here – due to the nature of our business we are constantly on the move, rarely in Harare for more than 2 days in a row and can not help with this part of the program.

We are looking for someone who can assist with taking Brendan to Drs etc.

If you can assist please contact me via email or 091 2256434.

Thank you

Janine


VARDEN SAFARIS -RIDING SAFARIS
RIDING IN HWANGE AND MAVURADONHA MOUNTAINS
PO BOX BW 1714 - BORROWDALE HARARE
PH/FAX: (+263 4) 861766
CELL JANINE (+263) 0 91 2256 434
CELL JAMES (+263) 0 912369 294
email: riding@vardensafaris.com
email: admin@vardensafaris.com

WWW.VARDENSAFARIS.COM
WWW.RIDING-IN-HWANGE.COM

skype: janine.varden

Thursday, February 19, 2009

Should we pay our bills?????

Jocelyn Ricquebourg [mailto:jocelyn.ricquebourg@zol.co.zw]
18 February 2009 04:28 PM
FYI - at a meeting yesterday John Robertson, the Economist, stated that the exhorbitant bills being sent out by utilities must not be paid- the budget does not balance and apparently it is an attempt to recoup losses incurred over many years, in one month!! You will be cut off but they will have no income and will be forced to take action. Also Biti still has to come out with a new budget so do not be "ripped off" in the meantime - just advise the authority that you are not able to pay owing to the cost.

NORMAN APPEL

We are so sorry to tell you all that our wonderful husband and dad, Norman, passed away late on Friday night.

We are planning a memorial to celebrate his life and love at the workshop, Old Mazoe Road, on Friday 20th starting around 3pm. We will have some tea and coffee available but please feel free to bring any other beverages you choose.

We would greatly appreciate it if you could also bring along your chairs, a plate of eats and a mug for the tea/coffee.

Hope to see you there.

Dee, Misty and Leigh Appel.

Watch out for a black Mercedes

A friend of mine has just informed me that her bag was stolen out of her locked car (the bag was under the driver's seat)while parked in the parking lot of the Hellenic School. two days later a suspicious black car was seen in the parking lot - when challenged by a teacher the occupants said they were waiting for a child - but the name they gave was obviously made up as there was no one in the school by the name they gave. They then said "This is Heritage School?", and then drove off. The Hellenic School is well marked and one could not make a mistake about this.

Luckily my friend got back her ID documents, her Zimbabwe money (ha ha) but not her USD!!!! They were left in a plastic bag outside a house in Strathaven.

I understand that there was another case around the same time where a woman running on the race course had her car windows smashed and her bag taken - a black car was seen leaving the site at great speed.

Hijackings and smash and grabs are happening during the day as well as at night and a new favourite place is Adylinn Road and Harare Drive.

Breakins are common.
Another friend had her domestic's quarters broken into. This happened while her domestic and his wife were asleep - they had been drugged and never woke up during the robbery - they were completely cleaned out of all their belongings.

MARTIN ROGER KAY

MARTIN ROGER KAY, beloved husband of Lynn, passed away suddenly after a short illness in Johannesburg on Friday 23rd January 2009.

Martin will be a sad loss to the BSAP Regimental Association and the Security Industry.

A Memorial Service to celebrate the life of Martin will be held at 11.15am, Friday 20th February 2009, at St George's College School Chapel.

Lynn can be contacted on 301332 or 0912-319002

e-mail: kayos@mango.zw

Wednesday, February 18, 2009

WE WANT OUR INVOICES

Received this in my mail this morning - it relates to Bulawayo but the same thing goes for Harare - how can we pay bills when we don't get any form of statement showing what we have paid and been creidited with.

Last month our phone bill was oaid with one US dollar - and we had 15 billion credit - this month we have had to pay US Dollars 80 - actually 90 as it was cents of the 80 and they did not have change!

How can one actually justify this increase in costs?

Subject: WE WANT OUR INVOICES !!!!!! Please read if you agree.
Hi All,
One big Beef of mine is - When did you last receive an “ACTUAL REAL LIVE BILL“ in your post box or at your Home address? I gave up sometime ago, as it proved next to impossible, to get an actual bill printed & I also had to resort to phoning or getting a piece of “SCRAP” paper with what the balance owing was. How can you check to see if your last payment was even credited to your account or query “ESTIMATES?”
I feel it is time to make a “STAND” and it should start with IMMEDIATE EFFECT. Do not pay your bills until you receive an Invoice or Statement from the following :
ZESA – They should also read the Meters. No more estimates due to non-availability of fuel.
TELONE & All the rest
CITY OF BULAWAYO. Ditto above & can they collect our GARBAGE PLEASE. Cholera is around the corner, as well as other associated diseases.
The principle being that we are going to be charged in HARD CURRENCY, which not all of us have access to anyway. The days of BEING THREATENED with cut-offs etc. should & must be over. Surely they can now afford all the THINGS that they said they had no finance for, such as computer printing ribbons, paper, POSTAGE STAMPS to mail our Bills, & numerous other excuses for the non-delivery of “SERVICES”. Some of you have Businesses & NEED the invoice for purposes of VAT rebates from ZIMRA anyway.
The Governor of the Reserve Bank, by allowing the above parastatals to charge us in Forex, forgot to explain that they should now LIVE UP TO THEIR MISSION STATEMENTS.
Therefore, we should ALL demand & indeed, should be entitled to a FIRST WORLD SERVICE, since we are being charged in FIRST WORLD CURRENCY.
If you agree to the above, please forward to as many people as are on your MAILING LISTS.
WOZA, has done a wonderful Job WITH NOTHING, so please think what we might do by circulating this message NATION WIDE. It starts with a minute of your time, that’s all – think about it.
Please note that the contents of the message above are NOT necessarily the views of FALGOLD ZIMBABWE LTD. or its Directors, and are therefore, not liable and claim Indemnity from any legal action etc. The above are my own thoughts on the matter & I will accept all responsibility for having been the author. Should you wish to add your comments, before forwarding, please feel free to do so, the more the merrier.
LET US HAVE WILL & THE POWER TO FOLLOW THROUGH ON OUR CONVICTIONS AND ACT NOW. THE TIME FOR CHANGE & GETTING RIPPED OFF IS LONG OVERDUE.
Regards
Chris Glyn
Stores and Logistics
Falcon Gold ZImbabwe
Blackrock Rd, Westondale
Bulawayo, Zimbabwe
Tel: +263 9 71230; 71242 (office)
Fax: + 263 9 62727
Cell: +263 11 414 681
mailto: cglyn@falgold.co.zw

Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Zimbabwe: Bring us your dead

The following story is so true - it is horrific.

BULAWAYO, 17 February 2009 (IRIN) - Mass burials are being conducted in Zimbabwe's second city, Bulawayo, to empty hospital mortuaries of hundreds of unclaimed and decomposing bodies.

The morgues at the city's two main referral hospitals, Mpilo and the United Bulawayo, have fallen into disrepair, with broken refrigerators unable to maintain the required temperatures in the summer heat to prevent decomposition.

Mpilo's mortuary has a capacity of 30 corpses, but was storing 250, piled three high on gurneys, while other bodies were lying on the floor, and more arrive each day.

Zimbabwe's economic meltdown has prevented families from claiming bodies as funeral costs have become unaffordable.

A simple wooden casket is priced at between US$350 and US$400, a sum beyond the reach of nearly all Zimbabweans. Unemployment is calculated at 94 percent and more than half the population survives on donor food assistance.

The mortuary crisis has become so acute that on Valentine's Day - 14 February - the Bulawayo Residents Association (BURA), together with churches, businesses, funeral parlours and the Zimbabwe Prisons Service (ZPS), conducted a pauper's burial for 65 people whose bodies had languished in the city's morgues for over six months.

"We applied for pauper burial status from the Department of Social Welfare so that we could ease pressure on the hospital mortuaries, as bodies were rotting, and we received support from companies, churches and the prison authorities, who enabled us to go ahead with the burials," BURA chairman Winos Dube told IRIN at the mass funeral.

"The stench emanating from the hospital mortuaries was not good, and we hope families will claim bodies of their loved ones in future and give them decent burials," Dube said.

"The sad reality is that all this is a reflection of the economic situation in the country, where people disappear after the death of a relative because they cannot afford burial costs," he said.

"Everybody understands that people are struggling to survive, and this explains the high number of people needing pauper burials, but with the support of the other people we are working with on the current pauper burials we will continue to conduct the mass pauper burials."

Prisoners as pallbearers

The prisons department provided the manpower to carry the bodies from the morgues to the vehicles waiting to transport them to Bulawayo's Luveve cemetery, and then to the graves, dug by residents and members of church congregations.

Funeral parlours donated cash to purchase cardboard coffins, while the business community gave money for fuel and the hire of trucks and hearses.

"One of my uncles died over five months ago and has not been buried because all his children are in South Africa, and as a family we failed to locate them," said Thelma Sikhosana, 46, who attended the mass burial.

"Since we did not have any money to conduct the funeral we just left his body at the mortuary, and I just came here to see his final resting place," the visibly distraught woman told IRIN.

Pauper burials used to be something of rarity in Zimbabwe, when the once flourishing economy either allowed people to prepare for the rituals of death by investing in funeral policies, or contributions by relatives provided often lavish send-offs for the deceased.

Many of those interred in the mass burial were prisoners. In a report published late in 2008 by the Zimbabwe Association for Crime Prevention and Rehabilitation of the Offender (ZACRO), it was alleged that in Zimbabwe's two largest prisons at least two inmates died each day from hunger or disease.

ZACRO said the squalid prison conditions in the country's 55 prisons - designed for 17,000 inmates and currently holding 35,000 - created an ideal environment for the spread of diseases, such as tuberculosis, while cash shortages prevented the purchase of antiretroviral drugs to treat prisoners living with HIV/AIDS.

ZACRO said in its report that the prison services did not have sufficient funds to buy food, let alone pay for burials. The social welfare department was responsible for prisoner burials, but had ceased this function as a result of funding shortages.

According to the World Health Organisation, average life expectancy in Zimbabwe has fallen from 60 years in 1990, to 37 years for men and 34 years for women at present.

Keeping Resthaven Going

Mail from Bruce Masson email brucema@mutare.matanuska.co.zw
Please respond to Bruce and not this email address.

We are really wanting to keep the Resthaven complex in Rusape going, and at present our occupancy rate is hovering around 60%. Obviously, we are wanting to raise this figure, and I was wondering whether you knew of anyone who would want to move to Resthaven. I know that it sounds crazy, but in these difficult economic times, there may be people who cannot afford the rents in Hre. We are charging US$7 per month per cottage - water is free, but ZESA/Telone has to be paid for.

We have a good doctor, and small private clinic, as well as dentist, vet etc. Although most supermarkets are basic, we have a new "dollar" shop which has opened and I think that this will go a long way to alleviating shopping blues in Rusape.

Please also spread the word! Thank you.

Please be warned of a domestic Gardener MAKESURE MUKAYI

Please be warned of a domestic Gardener MAKESURE MUKAYI ; ID No 42-161216 H 42, who is working the Harare suburbs as a domestic gardener.

Makesure immediately appears intelligent and well spoken and courteous. Once in employ he arranges for his wife SHUMIRAI and family to be accomodated on the property and theft starts once she arrives.
They seem to be organised and have plans for their looting and so far it appears to be money in any form. Once complaints originate of their theft they have contacts in the political section who descend on the employer and extort more money from the employer under the guise of unfair employment conditions, lack of sufficient time off and leave and failure to provide food / accommodation for the family. This can extend to racial and sexual offences on the part of the employer too.
Once the political flavour is introduced there is no stopping them and they connive with the labour people to press charges of 1st degree assault with firearm / deadly weapon which introduces untold problems for the defending employer.
Makesures wife shumirai has connections in Highlands Police station who will willingly think up charges to further complicate the issue.

Please be warned of these two individuals.
From Jim Levenderis

Monday, February 16, 2009

THE COST OF DYING!

About ten days ago, some friends of mine's mother died. She was a dear,
unselfish person and I looked after her at Fairways as her daughters live in Australia and Ireland respectively. She had requested that she be cremated as she felt that it would be cheaper and less fuss than having a burial.

Her body was taken to a well known (I think the only) Funeral Services company who told me that as the crematorium in Harare was no longer functioning, her body would have to be taken to Mutare for cremation and that this would cost US$4000. The family were obviously shocked at this amount and asked for a breakdown. It seems that the cost to drive the body to Mutare is charged at a rate of US$2,50/km. - a totally exhorbitant and unrealistic figure and when queried, we were told that that was the rate and they were not prepared to negotiate.

Yes, we could have driven the body ourselves to Mutare as other people do, but felt that this would be too traumatic under the circumstances and that Moira would not have wanted her daughter to have to undertake such a trip.

In the end, her daughter came from Ireland and the decision was made to bury Moira at the new Glen Forest Memorial Park which is very pleasant and at half the price!

What would it take to put the Harare Crematorium back into action?
Surely this would be a better option than having people being ripped off by this unscrupulous company who have the advantage of catching people when they are most vulnerable?
Trish Lillie

Comment:
When my father passed away 2 years ago we were placed in a similar position - however we were able to get assistance from the hindu community who were at that time allowing cremations at their crematorium at the Pioneer cemetary. We were the last non Hindu people allowed to have a cremation there as the municipality put a stop to it! it cost us very little money and the arrnagements were done quickly and with great compation.

We had an informal but dignified ceremony attended by some of his oldest friends.

I hope the photographs below will show what this was like. A sad but somewhat beautiful end.



D'ELIA LAMBERTO

IN MEMORIUM

D'ELIA LAMBERTO, (11th FEBRUARY 2005)

LOVED, ADORED AND UNFORGETTABLE HUSBAND OF SHERROL.

EVER IN MY HEART, THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS.

Elise Torrie (nee) Riley

Passed away after a brave fight with cancer, on 9th February 2009. Her ever enduring smile will always be shining down on us.

Family and friends please join us in celebrating the life of Liesal on Friday 13 February, 3pm at Nazareth House Chapel, 149 Enterprise Road, Harare.

Silence......

I have been silent for 12 days at least due to a power failure that took out my operating system. It took so long to put it back and get my programs up and running as we had power faiklures lasting from over 60 hours to over 30 hours at a time. hope we will stay up and running now.

John Keeling

It is with great sadness that we must impart the news to everyone that John Keeling passed away on Friday, 13 February 2009 in the United Kingdom.

John was a very active member of Reps, both on stage and off in the 1960s and 1970s, as well as being a television presenter on RTV in the 1970s. His portrait hangs in the Reps Theatre foyer and one of our trophies, The John Keeling Award for Best Actor in a lead role, is named after him.

He will be sorely missed by all who knew him. We will keep you updated as regards any form of memorial service or tribute.

Tuesday, February 3, 2009

DOUGLAS LAMB

MEMORIAL SERVICE

DOUGLAS LAMB -

The Memorial Service for the late Douglas Lamb will be held at

Highlands Presbyterian Church on Wednesday, 4th February 2009 at 10am.

Douglas, formerly of Eskbank Farm, passed away on Sunday afternoon, 1st
February 2009.

ZIMBABWE: Anglicans pray outside as Mugabe bishop holds property

February 03, 2009

Click image for detail[Ecumenical News International, Harare] The head of Zimbabwe's Anglican Diocese of Harare, Bishop Sebastian Bakare, says his congregation is looking to divine intervention as renegade former bishop Nolbert Kunonga and a small breakaway faction deny worshippers access to church property.

"We have exhausted all channels," Bakare said in an interview quoted in the privately-owned Standard newspaper on February 1.

Kunonga is a staunch supporter of the leader of Zimbabwe's Zanu-PF Party, Robert Mugabe, who still clings to the presidency in his country despite international calls for him to step down.

In 2008, Kunonga was excommunicated from the Anglican church after he decided to break away from the denomination's central African region over what he said was its sympathy to homosexuals.

As its new head, the church appointed Bakare, who has criticized Mugabe for denying his people human rights and religious freedom.

Kunonga, however, later formed his own self-styled Anglican Province of Zimbabwe with a handful of followers and claimed ownership of all church properties. Late in 2008 Kunonga appointed priests for his church.

Despite several orders including a high court ruling that the Anglican church majority led by Bakare be allowed to share the properties with Kunonga's group, pending a final legal judgment, gangs of youths supporting Kunonga have barricaded church buildings denying access to worshippers.

Some of the faithful resorted to holding church services in the open air, or in buildings offered by other denominations.

"We will only fight through God as he knows what is best for his church and he is the one who can correctly distinguish between good and evil," Bakare was quoted as saying.

"They are conniving with some rogue members of the police force and working in unison to violate the high court judgment," Bakare said of the breakaway Anglican group. "We are not going to fight them. Prayer is the only solution."

Monday, February 2, 2009

REPS SOCIAL EVENTS

INVITES YOU TO AN AFTERNOON OF MUSIC IN THE BAR
FOR VALENTINE'S DAY

WITH
"LIL MISS DYNAMITE"
ILLANA MAY

SATURDAY 14 FEBRUARY 2009

LUNCHTIME ONWARDS

HAPPY HOUR 1 - 2PM

MICHAEL THOMAS BLOODWORTH

DEATH NOTICE

MICHAEL THOMAS BLOODWORTH (M.I.Mech E, C.Eng)

MICHAEL THOMAS BLOODWORTH, beloved husband of the late HEATHER, Devoted
Father & Father-in-Law to ANGELA & ZANE, MALCOLM & TRACI, CHRISTOPER &
MORAG, Loving Grandfather to TAMZYN, DARRYN, OLIVER & BEN passed away
suddenly after a short illness at Athol Evans Nursing Home, Harare, on
Wednesday 29 January 2009.

Mike will be a sad loss to the Tobacco, Tea & Coffee Industries of
Zimbabwe with his design of Threshing Machines, Chain & Screw Conveyors
etc.

A Funeral Service for the late Mike Bloodworth will be held at 2.30pm on
Thursday 5th February 2009 at Athol Evans Chapel, Chiremba Road,
Cranborne, Harare, all friends & colleagues welcome.

Angi Stephen can be contacted on Harare 746623/776451 Cel. 091-2-328315

email: interhol@mweb.co.zw.

In Zimbabwe, a priceless party

This story is so true! We go to visit friends and take our own drinks - a gift of home made preserve or anything we have on the slef - and you know - we all have a wonderful time!

The best gifts are often the most simple.
By Kate Chambers
Never let a lack of cash stop you from hosting friends.
After seven years in cash-strapped Zimbabwe, I'm used to not having much. Food shortages and price slashes emptied shops well before last year. Soon, bread became a hard-to-find luxury.
As the purse strings got tighter, I learned to cook "relish": a stir-fried (and cheap) mush of spinach, broccoli leaves, and other monkey-resistant vegetables from our garden. I devised my own "doughnut" cake made from donated pancake mix, and I chopped cakes of soap in half to make them last longer.
In the last four months of 2008, when protracted haggling over a unity government between President Robert Mugabe and opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai pushed prices higher, we decided on more drastic cutbacks. The first thing to go: dinner parties.
It wasn't just a question of not having enough food. I knew my pantry would stretch to accommodate scrambled eggs for eight. But whoever heard of a scrambled egg party? Besides, I was afraid I'd embarrass my friends, who might feel they had to invite us back – and couldn't.
Instead, we exchanged news in the street – a quick "hello, how are you managing?" and a wave, or a few words thrown out of the car window.
Sometimes I daydreamed of the feast I'd cook for friends when all this was over. I planned my menu in detail: a chicken smothered in oil, rubbed in sea salt and thyme, stuffed with chunks of onion and lemon slices, and slathered in gravy. Then I'll set it on a table with rosemary-speckled roasted potatoes and rice, butternut squash, and salad. I envisaged lighting candles just so my guests could enjoy their flickering flames (and not because the power had gone off for the nth time).
But as the annual inflation climbed relentlessly to an estimated 1 sextillion percent last December, the dreams of my feast began to disappear.
Finally, our friend, Mai Nigel, called. "What are you doing this morning?" she asked. "Come to our place. We'd love to see you properly."
Quickly, I scanned my cupboard. When we used to visit our friends, I'd bring presents from a stash of overseas luxuries: bath soap sent by an uncle or packets of custard powder from my mother. But Zimpost, our public postal provider, hadn't delivered so much as a letter in weeks. Like Old Mother Hubbard's, my cupboard was bare. So my husband grabbed what we had: three mangoes from the fruit bowl.
Mai Nigel's husband was waiting at the gate. "It's been so long," he said.
Inside, we drank water, served in glasses on a pretty doily-covered tray. There were no biscuits, no cake, and no sweets – but I only realized this hours later. My 4-year-old, who's normally so hungry we joke that he has hollow legs, did not ask for food once.
We left well after lunchtime. As we were leaving, Mai Nigel handed me a bag of black grapes from the vine in her back garden.
"Please," said her husband, "come anytime. And next time, don't wait so long to visit."
Those grapes lasted us three days. Each time I ate a cluster, I thought of the hours we'd spent with Mai and Baba wa Nigel and the lesson they taught me.
Sometimes there is no point in dwelling on the things you lack. Instead, I've learned that good conversation and the sheer contentment of being with friends, can be just as satisfying as chicken and chips.

Sunday, February 1, 2009

The Children left behind

The situation in this country is such that there are destitute people on all levels. We know of children who have been deserted by their parents who just got on a plane to UK or elsewhere leaving their family to fiend for themselves.

One particular case involved a family of four ranging from 3 years old to about 12 years old who were abandoned in an empty house!

Children have been found wandering around the city centre - their parents having left the country.

These stories are not just isolated instances....this is happening continuously.

It makes one wonder why people have children in the first place - surely their responsibility should be to those children. Instead they selfish decisions - looking after themselves first. All very sad but part and parcel of what is going on behind the scenes. we hear of cholera, we here of starvation but very little about the other sad part of life in Zimbabwe today.