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October 03, 2007

More on everyday life in Zimbabwe.......

From Cathy Buckle's blog, how would you like this plumbing bill?

A geyser in my roof burst this week and when the plumbers got it out the original price was hand written in marker pen on the side of the tank alongside a dated sticker from the shop where it had been purchased. The date stamp was from a local hardware store and was machine printed: "02. 2000" was still legible. The price, written in clear red letters was one thousand, nine hundred and eighty five dollars. The plumbers gave me a quote to repair the geyser by welding the numerous leaking joints, flushing the sludge which had gathered (thanks to our filthy and very intermittent local water supply) and reinstalling the tank. The quote was for twenty six million dollars. To replace the geyser with a new one, the plumbers quote, before labour, was for one hundred and twenty million dollars. In just seven years the price had gone from under two thousand dollars to 120 million dollars - which, in reality is actually 120 billion dollars because 3 zeroes were slashed from our currency a year ago.

At least you can get a plumber, unlike trying to get anything to eat, I suppose.

Posted by Crusader at October 3, 2007 04:26 PM

Comments

Hmmmm.

As long as Zimbabweans aren't willing to put Mugabe and friends into a hangman's noose, this is their fate.

And just in case this comes up, I'm am completely opposed to any financial, food or military aid to Zimbabwe. When we do that all we do is enable the corrupt government to continue it's depredations on it's citizens.

Once it gets bad enough they will either flee the country, in which case they never had the courage to embrace freedom, or they'll fight, in which case freedom is theirs for the taking.

Posted by: memomachine at October 3, 2007 05:12 PM

I can't put it any more succinctly than memomachine so…

*vigorous golf clap*

Posted by: Gunslinger at October 3, 2007 05:22 PM

I agree. People have to want their freedom.

I just wish we would do the same with Palestine.

Posted by: The_Real_JeffS at October 3, 2007 08:40 PM

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