Welcome to Zimbabwe! Welcome to the Land of new bank notes!
The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe has introduced new ZW$500 000 000 bank note in a bid to tackle cash shortages caused by runaway inflation estimated to be about 165 000 percent according to figures released in February. Since then no inflation figures have been released.
Zimbabwe is now surely a country of new bank notes, as the new ZW500 million comes only 10 after the introduction of ZW$100 million and ZW$250 million.
The Reserve Bank also introduced something they are calling 'Agro Cheques', in ZW$5 billion, ZW$25 billion and ZW$50 billion denominations, which will expire in December. These are meant to facilitate the "Implementation of the grain mobilisation programme", in the face of the global food crisis.
"Introducing the new the new ZW$500 million bearer cheque for your convenience", read a Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe advert in the government's mouth piece The Herald.
This is the fourth time Zimbabwe has introduced new bank notes this year.
In January higher denomination ZW$10 000 000 bank note
April 2......higher denomination ZW$50 million
May 2.........ZW$100 million and ZW$250 million
Now...........ZW$500 million
The country has gone to the dogs! Is anyone in control of the monetary situation in Zimbabwe?
Zimbabwe's chronic economic crisis has condemned many it's people to unprecedented levels of poverty. 80 percent of the population are said to live below the poverty datum line.
Why has the country resorted to printing these valueless papers?
Surely they must be printing these bank notes on bond paper. How can they afford the real paper to print money every week?
Always interested in what you have to say,
Hackers have targeted Zimbabwe's business weekly, the Financial Gazette. The Newspapers had most of it's links replaced with slogans calling for Mugabe to GO. The popular opposition slogans, Mugabe must Go!Free Zim!
The Financial Gazette is widely believed to be owned by the Reserve Bank governor Mr Gono, who many see as a key Ally of president Mugabe.
Only a few days back, the website of Zimbabwe's Herald newspaper had it's links replaced with the word 'Gukurahundi' in reference to the period after independence when a lot of people were killed in the Matebeleland region.
Nobody has claimed responsibility for the hacking of the two newspaper's websites. But the newspapers seem to be paying for their continued support of the current regime which most Zimbabweans blame for their current troubles. The regime which is not doing anything to stop the torture and killing of innocent people because it wants to hang on to power at all cost.
In chart rooms, forums and in the blog sphere Zimbabweans have been plotting to cripple the government's propaganda machine and all it's forces of evil and sympathisers. The Herald has said it was sabotaged by someone outside the country.
Does it mean Zimbabweans forced to flee their own country because of problems created by a regime determined to hang on to power at all cost? If so, why should we care about these two newspapers?
Feel free to share your opinions.
Who will save the innocent people of Zimbabwe from this brutality? Ever since the elections of March 29 in which Robert Mugabe's Zanu PF lost to the opposition MDC, the people of Zimbabwe have seen an increase in violence, torture and killings of perceived opposition supporters.
Where is SADC? Where is AU? Where is the United Nations? Where is the international community? As for our neighbour South Africa, God knows how many Zimbabweans wish their president Thabo Mbeki should just keep quite if he has got nothing to offer to the people of Zimbabwe.
Is it that all these organisations and the international community are powerless in saving the people of Zimbabwe from all this brutality? Perhaps only Zimbabweans can help themselves out of this situation, but how?
More than six weeks ago Zimbabweans went to the polls to elect who they want to be the leader of their country. Now six weeks after the elections in Zimbabwe and ahead of the expected run-off (of which the date has not been announced), the Zimbabwe economic crisis is deepening everyday and pushing ordinary Zimbabweans into despair.
Many Zimbabweans had hoped that the March 29 elections could bring an end to the country's' economic problems and the continued suffering caused the current government. Instead prices have skyrocketed to unprecedented levels living Zimbabweans hopeless and let down by everyone who could help end this crisis in the country.
There are reports and evidence of politically motivated violence and torture in all parts of the country. Video evidence and pictures are available for everyone to see, yet nobody seems to be able to help end this brutal regimes rule of terror.
"Levels of post election violence in Zimbabwe are escalating in Urban and Rural areas and could reach crisis proportions" a UN officials said.
There have been reports from Zimbabwe of a stand-off between the US Ambassador and the Zimbabwe police in the rural community of Mvurwi. All because the American Ambassador visited the area to witness first hand, the violence beatings and torture against Movement for Democratic Change supporters being perpetrated by Zanu PF supporters, government militias (green bombers) and those misguided elements who masquerade as war veterans.
Is anyone ever going to be able to help the people of Zimbabwe from the brutality of the current government, all because they voted for Morgan Tsvangirai and MDC? Where is the International community, where is SADC, AU and UN when the people of Zimbabwe are in the time of need?
Always interested in what you have to say,
The Zimbabwe government has temporarily suspended import duty on basic commodities in a bid to ease the chronic shortages facing the country. The Zimbabwean economy has been in crisis for some years now, characterised by runaway inflation estimated to be around 165 000 percent, high unemployment, chronic shortages of foreign currency, fuel and other basic commodities.
" As a stop-gap measure, the government has therefore suspended duty on basic commodities for a period of 90 days with effect from Monday 12 May," minister Sikhanyiso Ndlovu told journalist.
Minister Ndlovu went on to say that this was no means a substitution of locally-produced goods as it was only a temporary measure. Funny how these people know that they have failed the people of Zimbabwe but they just don't want to admit that they have messed-up the economy.
" Our people (of Zimbabwe) have been surviving by importing some basic goods to augment local production which has been hampered by sanctions on our country which lead to shortages of foreign currency." said minister Ndlovu
He also said the government will continue allocating foreign currency to help local manufacturers to increase production.
Only goods imported for consumption will qualify for import duty exemption and these include rice, margarine, cooking oil, floor and toothpaste.
The problem with our government is that they do not accept that they have failed, they do not want to acknowledge when they have made mistakes. They would rather find someone to blame for their failures. Because of that they fail to find the right solution to the country's problems. The problem lies within the government it's self, that is why Zimbabwe is in a crisis it is right now. Not because of the sanctions they keep talking about.
Zimbabwe used to be able to provide enough food for it's citizens, and export some to other countries before the government destroyed all that through their mismanagement of resources and corruption by government officials.
- they sanctioned the chaotic and violent land invasions which destroyed the country's agricultural sector.
- through the indegenisation program, they gave production companies to greedy individuals who managed to destroy the companies and in the process destroy the lives of many Zimbabweans.
- How many ministers and some high profile Zanu PF officials have been involved in corruption cases and nothing happened to them. In fact some ministers were transferred to other ministries after looting all finances from another ministry.
(Read more on Corruption cases which destroyed Zimbabwe here)
I'm always interested in your opinions,
Some call it 'The Horrible' .....!
So, could it be the reason why somebody has crippled the government's propaganda machine?
Anywhere, I wonder how many Zimbabweans really care. Maybe the advertisers who have been oiling this government's mouth-piece and making money out of Zimbabwe living in the diaspora, forced to flee problems in their own country.
The Herald newspaper's website has been down since it was hacked over the weekend. Currently the website will re-direct you to the Sunday Mail website another arm of the government's propaganda machine. The state run Herald's website had all it's links replaced with the words 'Gukurahundi' in reference to the government's clampdown on the people of Matebeleland in the 1980s when a lot of civilians were killed by the Korean trained soldiers.
The state owned Herald has always been on a campaign to mislead the people of Zimbabwe ever since the government banned other independent daily newspapers. It is well know for wasting tax payer's money printing pro government propaganda.
Some Zimbabweans oppressed for a long time, and forced to flee hunger and starvation in their own homeland. Hunger caused by the government sanctioned land invasions by those thugs who masquerade as war veterans.
Tired of the current Zanu PF regime rigging elections, using violence and torture to remain in power. Banging on and on about our sovereignty, what sovereignty is there when you are not free to live in your own country?
Tired of the usual propaganda rubbish we get from Zanu PF and it's misguided supporters have been trying to cripple the Zanu PF propaganda machine which could probably explain why 'The Horrible' website is down. Phone numbers of Zanu PF and government officials and their sympathisers have been posted in forums and chart rooms, and blogs have been created in an effort to cripple the regime's propaganda machine.
I wonder how many wish, Western news agencies like SKY News and Al Jazeera could stop giving these so called 'government minister' air time to further their Zanu PF propaganda. While denying the peace loving people of Zimbabwe their right to choose a president of their own choice.
I'm always interested in your opinions, feel free to leave your comment on the hacking of the Herald website and any other matters.
