This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It will not be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/world/africa/7506990.stm

The article has changed 2 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 0 Version 1
Harare diary: Circus leaves town Harare diary: Circus leaves town
(5 days later)
Esther (not her real name), 28, a professional living and working in Zimbabwe's capital, Harare, is writing a regular diary on the challenges of leading a normal life.Esther (not her real name), 28, a professional living and working in Zimbabwe's capital, Harare, is writing a regular diary on the challenges of leading a normal life.
Zimbabwe is suffering from an acute economic crisis. The country has the world's highest rate of inflation and just one in five has an official job.Zimbabwe is suffering from an acute economic crisis. The country has the world's highest rate of inflation and just one in five has an official job.
Harare feels a bit like the circus has just packed up and left town.Harare feels a bit like the circus has just packed up and left town.
The militia roadblocks and base camps have disappeared from most (but not all) areas, posters have come down from public transport vehicles, teenagers are back to wearing T-shirts with the faces of R&B stars rather than that of R G Mugabe.The militia roadblocks and base camps have disappeared from most (but not all) areas, posters have come down from public transport vehicles, teenagers are back to wearing T-shirts with the faces of R&B stars rather than that of R G Mugabe.
We were all so focused on 29 March, then on being kept waiting for 5 weeks for a result, then on 27 June, the AU summit, then the G8 summit, and then the UN Security Council meeting.We were all so focused on 29 March, then on being kept waiting for 5 weeks for a result, then on 27 June, the AU summit, then the G8 summit, and then the UN Security Council meeting.
To the ordinary person with no knowledge of "Diplomatese" nothing seems to have come out of that.To the ordinary person with no knowledge of "Diplomatese" nothing seems to have come out of that.
So after weeks of soaring hopes and giddy visions of a bright future, we have all had to come back down to earth, and resume our normal lives.So after weeks of soaring hopes and giddy visions of a bright future, we have all had to come back down to earth, and resume our normal lives.
It always amuses me when broadcasters make a big deal of inflation hitting 3% in some economiesIt always amuses me when broadcasters make a big deal of inflation hitting 3% in some economies
Now everyone's biggest headache is how to make money.Now everyone's biggest headache is how to make money.
Being formally employed means you take home only half of what you actually earn - income tax, or Pay As You Earn as we call it here, is a whopping 47.5%.Being formally employed means you take home only half of what you actually earn - income tax, or Pay As You Earn as we call it here, is a whopping 47.5%.
Add the obligatory social security tax, the pension scheme and health insurance, and you have probably the highest taxed worker in the world.Add the obligatory social security tax, the pension scheme and health insurance, and you have probably the highest taxed worker in the world.
So quite a number of people have started jetting off to the Middle East, UAE, and all over Africa to buy goods for resale.So quite a number of people have started jetting off to the Middle East, UAE, and all over Africa to buy goods for resale.
Anything goes - clothing, footwear, hair extensions & products, electronics, cellphones, and even groceries.Anything goes - clothing, footwear, hair extensions & products, electronics, cellphones, and even groceries.
Supermarket shelves are bare again, so business is brisk. And at least all your earnings are yours - you don't have to share them with the government.Supermarket shelves are bare again, so business is brisk. And at least all your earnings are yours - you don't have to share them with the government.
Nothing has changed, inflation gallops on.Nothing has changed, inflation gallops on.
It always amuses me when broadcasters on international business programmes make a big deal of inflation hitting 3%, 5% etc in some economies. Ours is off the charts, and people worry about 5%.It always amuses me when broadcasters on international business programmes make a big deal of inflation hitting 3%, 5% etc in some economies. Ours is off the charts, and people worry about 5%.
Zimbabwe's poor face a daily struggle to surviveZimbabwe's poor face a daily struggle to survive
A neighbour of ours gave their gardener some days off and enough money to go to and from his rural home during the break.A neighbour of ours gave their gardener some days off and enough money to go to and from his rural home during the break.
The gardener then sent word that he could not come back to work as bus fares had doubled in the week that he was away.The gardener then sent word that he could not come back to work as bus fares had doubled in the week that he was away.
Budgeting is a foreign word to young people entering the job market now.Budgeting is a foreign word to young people entering the job market now.
For one's personal finances, it's a matter of buying whatever you need (if you can afford it), then hoping for the best until the next pay day.For one's personal finances, it's a matter of buying whatever you need (if you can afford it), then hoping for the best until the next pay day.
So our days of being political analysts seem to be over, at least for now.So our days of being political analysts seem to be over, at least for now.
Our focus has shifted back to whether it pays to invest in the local stock exchange and where to get maize meal, bread, salt, sugar and cooking oil.Our focus has shifted back to whether it pays to invest in the local stock exchange and where to get maize meal, bread, salt, sugar and cooking oil.
Yep, life goes on.Yep, life goes on.
Read Esther's previous diaryRead Esther's previous diary
Send Esther your questions: Esther answers your questions:
Use the postform below to ask Esther about daily life in Zimbabwe and we will pass it on to her. Q: Who is the Minister of Finance or equivalent; what's his academic & professional background. And what economic measures is he applying in order to redress or recover the economic plight of the population? Tchota, Quatre Bornes , Mauritius
name="say">
method="post" action="http://www.bbc.co.uk/cgi-bin/cgiemail/newstalk/form_all.txt"> name="email_subject" type="hidden" value="Zimbabwe Qs for Esther 7278919"> name="mailto" type="hidden" value="talkingpoint@bbc.co.uk"> name="success" type="hidden" value="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/bsp/hi/have_your_say/html/have_your_say_thanks.stm"> Name
A: I cannot do justice to your question, I studied economics a long time ago. What I can tell you is this. The minister of finance is a man with a PhD in economics, so its certainly not a question of him being clueless. Monetary policy is the mandate of our Central Bank governer, who by the way also has a PhD. The minister of finance's mandate is fiscal policy. Both gentlemen review their policies every quarter and announce measures to arrest inflation, improve balance of payments etc. On paper at least they are doing something. The problem is that measures that alienate the government will not be tolerated. A budget will be drafted and announced, then the next week armed forces are awarded a hefty pay rise which can only be met by the printing of more notes, and means the defence budget for the year is blown in three months. So in that one stroke money supply has been greatly increased, and domestic borrowing has begun just three months into the fiscal year. What hope then exists for an economic turnaround?
Q: Given the reports that we hear from media such as BBC and others it seems that Zimbabwe that was once a bread basket for the whole Africa is now at the brink of collapse or it has already. Now my question is are the government institutions functioning? If so where does the government get the money to run them? Nhial, southern Sudanese in USA
A: They are still functioning. But more often than not the power utility company will tell you they don't have fuel in their vehicles and so are unable to attend the fault on your local power line. Homes have no running water for days on end because the water supply company has run out of water treatment chemicals. Telephone lines are down because there has been no power at the telephone exchange for days and so on. (Government is the majority shareholder in every utilities operator) As to how the government is keeping these institutions going, well we pay pretty hefty income taxes - up to 47.5%. But the government workers are so badly paid that increasingly, to get something done, you have to bribe whoever is serving you to do their job. And people are not even bitter, we know how much these guys earn - between 10-20 US dollars a month, and people will pay to get what they want - official documents, telephone repairs & installations, and so on.
Q: Hi Esther, can't Zimbabweans in the diaspora contribute a certain percentage of their salary (maybe 5%) to support the Zimbabwean economy so that Zimbabwe will never expect aid from bullying countries such as US and Britain ?Observer, South Africa
A: I think the general perception is that these funds will be abused by the government. Zimbabweans in the diaspora do send money home, but only to directly support their families here.
Q: Esther, I have been following your diary and any other stories I can find relating to the problems in Zimbabwe for quite a while now and every time a new piece of news comes through from Zimbabwe it makes me so angry and saddened. I cannot help but feel that Britain should have done more to help when this all first started to unravel. Do you think that there is anything that either Britain ’s government or people can do to change the situation or help the people effected? It is sad to think that the only solace that can be taken is the fact the no-one can live forever!Krissi , UK
A: That's a sentiment shared by a lot of people here - that the world could have done more. But what really? Arresting Mugabe would have overshadowed his faults and the developing world would have screamed about recolonisation, disrespect and so on. As painstakingly slow as the process is, dialogue seems the only option, and it is quite something that he was forced to the negotiating table.
Q: Esther, I've been wondering about something for a while now. With your huge inflation, and equally huge bank notes, what happened to people who had mortgages on their property? For example, if someone had a Z$500 000 bond on their house a couple of years ago, could they pay the debt off with a single note now? Or did the banks find a way to get round that? Lynne, Moorreesburg , South Africa
A: Banks readjust repayment terms in line with inflation, and no new bonds are being issued.
Q: In everything we've seen (in Australia at least), there's been little to nothing on what, if anything, Mugabe and his party plan to do to bring Zimbabwe out of its economic crisis. Is there anything being said by his regime to give you hope for at least some sort of economic improvement now that they've retained power and apparently avoided any significant international intervention (which by the way, is appalling to me).Brett, Brisbane, Australia
A: No, Mugabe has no plans for economic recovery, which is why the majority of Zimbabweans voted him out of power in the 29 March election. He will not even take responsibility for the collapse! Not even 1% of the blame - it is always 100% someone else's fault.
Q: Are you a reporter for the BBC, or are they paying you to write this?Harry , USA
A: I sound like a reporter? Wow, you just made my day!
Q: "So our days of being political analysts seem to be over, at least for now." Sounds ominous - I hope it doesn't mean that this is your final diary. A lot of folk out here have followed your insights with the greatest interest and the deepest concern. Rob Morgan, Cairns , Australia
A: If I remember, when I wrote that, the militia had just started to move around and people were once again afraid to voice their political opinions. Can you imagine yourself last year with your best kept secret being whether you would vote for Rudd or Howard, because your life depended on you keeping it secret?