According to reports from Zimbabwe, the government is considering recomending Donkey meat as an alternative to beef which has been in short supply ever since the government introduced price controls. There has been a lot of talk in different forums on this issue. The big question being: Should people aet Donkey meant or not?
There is surely no harm in eating Donkey meat. However I personally have never head of people eating Donkey meat in Zimbabwe and I wouldn't consider eating Donkey meat. Even though in other parts of the world people do eat Donkey meat, in Zimbabwe and also in some other countries there are social and cultural beliefs which stop people from eating Donkey meat.
In other countries Donkeys are seen as pets, and they don't tolerate eating Donkey meat. There are so many arguments for and against eating Donkey meat.
However given the problems the country is currently facing, the government is once again forced to try every desperate measure possible. Remember how villagers in Chihota are now using human excrement as a substitute for fertiliser.
The truth is the country should not have been in this current economic state. Everything seems to be going wrong with no end in sight. Because we tend to blame everyone else but ourselves, we don't deal with the real causes of our problems.
The country used to produce enough beef to feed the nation and also export to the European Market. What happened to all the cattle which was in farms? The government still continues with it's policy of price controls which is destroying the country.
Maybe people should start taking good care and stop abusing their Donkeys. As their price is likey to go up if people take to eating Donkey meat. There may also be future business in the export of Donkey meat to the major consuming markets for Donkey meat and the country may also get the much needed foreign currency.
But will the leaders eat Donkey meat? How many of us would really eat Donkey meat and should people eat Donkey meat? Is there anything wrong in eating Donkey meat?
Zimbabwe is going to introduce new bearer cheques, including a Z$10 million bill this week. Reserve bank governor Mr Gideon Gono announced announced in a press statement today.
With effect from Friday 18 January 2008, the reserve bank of Zimbabwe is releasing the following new notes; Z$1 million, Z$5 million and Z$10 million.
Daily cash withdrawal limits for individuals are going to be increased from Z$50 million per day to Z$500 million per day effective Friday.
As monetary authorities we once again assure the nation that we are in full control of the currency situation in the country and it is never our intention, nor is it part of our philosophy to cause unnecessary pain to fellow Zimbabweans", the reserve bank governor said.
"In this regard the central bank will continue to formulate and implement tangible solutions to the challenges that the financial sector is currently facing for the benefit and convenience of the public", said Mr Gono
Zimbabwe has been suffering from severe cash shortages. In December the reserve bank introduced higher denomination bearer cheques, Z$250 000, Z$500 000, and Z$750 00 in an effort to tackle the cash shortages.
The reserve bank governor blames the problems currently affecting the country on what he calls indiscipline, smuggling of minerals and corruption.
I think as long as they keep talking about these problems without doing anything about them we will not get anywhere. They know the corrupt people in the country, they know who is responsible for all this mercy we find ourselves in.
What are your views, do you think the reserve bank is in full control of the economic situation, like they say in their press statement?
Will the introduction of these new notes solve the current cash problems?
Join the debate on this post, leave your comment.
Zimbabwe is faced with so many different economic and political problems. It is a country in serious trouble. However opinion is varied as to why and how the country which once a such vibrant and sophisticated economy, a country which once had the faster growing economy in sub-Saharan Africa has been reduced to such a state. The country which was once the bread basket of Africa, has been reduced to begging.
There are so many reasons, but the unprecedented corruption in all sectors of society has contributed to the collapse of the economy.
There may be other elements involved in the troubles that we find ourselves in today, but looking at some of the problems affecting us today there is no doubt we are contributing to tragic and devastating crisis in our country.
Corruption is so much accepted today in society, it's now part of our day today living. Most things you can not get if you do not pay a bribe. You pay to get your own cash from the bank, you pay to jump the queue. There is corruption all around us.
One of the major problems in our country has been land re-distribution. There has been a lot of talk and different opinions as regards to how this whole process was done. Did this whole process benefit the majority of the country? How many people have more than one farms whilst some still have no land? Who benefited from all the prime agricultural land?
Those who managed to get land, are they doing anything meaningful at the farms? Do they have the ability to do any meaningful production after selling some of the equipment that was on the farms? Are they getting any meaningful support for them to be productive?
Different donor organisations have been helping with agricultural inputs schemes, they have been providing food and financing projects in different parts of the country. But because of our own corrupt tendencies we can not even redistribute these fairly. Some of these things end up being sold to the same people who are supposed to benefit from the donations. How much donation money for different projects has been misappropriated. Our fascination with personal wealth at the expense of the majority lives.
The country is suffering from severe fuel shortages, food shortages, foreign currency shortages and other basic commodities. There have been reports of people taking these goods across the border to sale in neighbouring countries while we face shortages in the country.
Government provided subsidised fuel for public transport operators, there was also fuel meant to benefit the agricultural sector. All this fuel just end up being sold on the black market because of our desire to make profit at the expense of the whole nation.
A trip to the bank now costs you a fortune to get your own cash. You have to pay to get your own money, that's ridiculous.
All that noise about indigenisation, look at the mess the industrial sector is now. I understand it was all meant empower our own people, but it just exposed our weakness. How many indigenous people are fascinated with flash life? They could not resist the temptation of showing off. How many companies have been given to indigenous people and have now closed down, and in the process destroyed many people's lives.
The country is experiencing health problems, water problems and many other problems affecting society today.
Did the rise and growth of private hospitals and private surgeries contribute to the public health system? Your guess is as good as mine.
The water problems now affecting the city of Harare show the effect of corruption on society. Recently there has been an outbreak of diarrhoea in Mabvuku and Tafara.
For how long have we heard about work on the Zambezi water project starting 'soon'. How much money was raised through different efforts for this project? Where is all that money now?
We are so much used to corruption in society such that we don't believe we can function without it. The shortages we are experiencing in the country are fuelling this corruption, most commodities are easily found on the black market. Because of our desire for short term benefits and our greediness, we are destroying our own society.
It is very easy when you are in a difficult situation to blame everyone else but yourself. Our own actions maybe destroying our lives, what you do and what you don't do determines your future. It is in your moments of decision that your destiny is shaped.
Some high profile corruption cases over the years include, Willowgate scandal, Boka Banking scandal, Telecel scandal, GMB scandal, Harare Airport scandal, Harare City council tender scandals? All these cases just shows how corruption became part of our society and destroyed our country. So many things have happened, nearly everyone have a story to tell about corruption in the country.
Share you thoughts on how corruption has destroyed our country and how we can take control of our future and address the problems we are faced with.
Post-election violence in Kenya is creating pre-election nervousness among Zimbabwe's voters ahead of the parliamentary and presidential elections in March. People are beginning to stockpile food in the event of any possible unrest, according to a report from UN Integrated Regional Information Networks.
Why Zimbabwe's elections should be Free and Fair and Peaceful?
Zimbabwe is currently experiencing a severe food shortages and a general shortage of other essential commodities. So even if these people may plan to stock pile on food there is nothing in the shops. Most of these commodities are readily available on the black market, but because of the severe cash crisis in the country they don't have cash to pay for these goods.
The country has one of the highest inflation rates in the world estimated at 8000%. The economy is literally on it's knees. There is high unemployment and those in employment are underpaid. They can not even support their families with their wages, it does not pay to go to work in Zimbabwe today. Companies are closing down and staff being laid off. Those companies still in operation are struggling to survive and there is no meaningful production in those companies.
There is no cash in the banks, even after the introduction of the higher denomination bearer cheques, people are still struggling to get cash for their day to day activities.
There is no fuel which has affected most of the production in the country and just recently Mozambique's Hidro electrica de Cahora basa switched off electricity supply to Zimbabwe. This was after ZESA failed to settle a debt of US$26 which was due in December.
The health system is collapsing, with shortages of medication and staff shortages there is no longer any meaningful health delivery system in the country. Doctors and nurses were on strike recently because of low wages. They can not even afford to go to work, so is other works in different sectors of the country. Recently judges and prosecutors were awarded a 600% salary increment after being on strike since October last year.
The country which was once the bread basket of Africa is now having to import food and survive on donor organisations. There have been below average rainfall in the past few years, but problems with land redistribution and under utilisation of available land has seen the country fail to feed itself. There is also a shortage of inputs and the country has to rely on fertiliser donations from countries like China, however not everyone benefits from these donations.
It has also been reported that some people will be planning to go to the villages just in case there is violence after elections. Urban areas are mostly view as opposition areas and past experiences have shown that rural areas are generally peaceful and urban areas tend to see violent clashes between rival supporters.
Peaceful, free and fair elections is what Zimbabwe need. The responsible security agencies will hopefully be doing their work to maintain peace before, during and after the elections.
There is no reason why neighbours should be fighting each other because of political differences. Why should the ordinary people kill each other? Lessons should be learnt from Kenya's experience, where despite all the deaths of innocent people, despite all the calls to stop violence, despite all the calls for dialogue. The party leaders refused to have talks to end the fighting and in the meantime neighbours were killing each other.
Free, Fair and Peaceful elections are important for the future of Zimbabwe. Could this be the opportunity for the country to kick start the recovery process? We hope and pray that the country will not follow what happened in Kenya.
So, is the British government right to stop the Zimbabwe cricket tour? Personally I do not agree with these politicians interfering in sport. Cricket is cricket and these guys should be allowed to come and play cricket. The ICC should instead ban England and stop then from hosting the World Twenty20 event if they ban Zimbabwe.
Zimbabwe is a member of the International cricket council and hence these guys should be allowed to take part. Whatever political problems that maybe there, is it in the best interests of the players to stop them from participating in international tournaments. Why should they be punished? Some of these guys earn their living from playing cricket, so why take it away from them?
A few years back Zimbabwe decided to pull out of the common wealth countries and this took away the only chance our sports person had of participating in international tournaments. They took away the chance for these guys to make a carrier for themselves.
There is no room for politicians in sport.
