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Zim's economic crisis spirals out of control

Not long ago the country of Zimbabwe exported food to its neighbors and enjoyed a season of prosperity. Those days are gone and the nation, ruled by President Robert Mugabe, faces the grim reality of widespread famine amid a dying economy. The situation is primarily the product of Mugabe’s land reforms, which destroyed the agricultural sector of the nation, and his economic reforms, which annihilated the private sector of the economy.

Recently, Mugabe ~~stole~~ won the national election amid significant controversy [Zimbabwe: Election Fraud Report ]. He cheated using the typical tactics of tyrants including arrests, intimidation, ballot stuffing, ghost voting, and outright fraud. His administration has also incarcerated critical journalists and eliminated all private newspapers.

Not surprising, prices for food have sky rocketed. While this was happening, Mugabe’s government told international food aid agencies that the country required no aid as "it had produced in excess of its national requirements [more]. To combat the escalating prices, Mugabe imposed price controls which further exacerbated the food shortages.

Basic foodstuffs have disappeared from supermarket shelves, most cities and towns have run out of fuel, and power blackouts have become the order of the day.

Tap water has become a luxury because the supply system has become run down and there is a lack of foreign exchange to pay for imported water-purifying chemicals.

IOL Africa, HT: CryforZimbabwe

In response, Mugabe blaimed the country's economic woes on "sabotage" by retailers and manufacturers "unhappy" that Zanu-PF, and not the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), won the parliamentary poll. Those who have increased the price of goods according to the ever increasing cost of good and services (inflation is triple digit), he has threatened to jail.

Intimidation, torture, persecution and tyranny are the emblems of Mugabe’s rule and he is presently under U.S. and European sanctions.

Would it surprise you that Zimbabwe was one of 15 countries recently elected to the U.N. Human Rights Commission?

Posted by tim at April 29, 2005 12:25 AM

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