The Daily News has reported that The Transport and Infrastructural Development Ministry headed by Nicholas Goche has only managed to resurface 11.6 kilometres of road in 2011.  Last year Goche’s Ministry collected a total of $80 million dollars on behalf of ZINARA.

Presumably that 11.6 kilometres combines Borrowdale Road (Our Dear Leaders way home), which underwent extensive repair and repainting last year and some patch jobs on the road to Zvimba. No doubt sitting in Cabinet Our Dear Leader has even congratulated Minister Goche on an excellent road network.

The other morning I saw a fit-looking woman in her sports clothes at the shops: long sleeved sports top, running shoes, stretch pants, backpack. Nothing too unusual. But she wasn’t consuming a power bar or energy shake as she wandered between the cheeses and cold meats. Instead, I couldn’t help but notice the large, leafy, bright green head of lettuce clenched tight between both hands. From time to time, she’d bring it to her mouth, and take the largest, most enthusiastic bites out of it. Then she’d masticate furiously, her mouth wide open. Between gulps, her tongue and lips moved vigorously, trying to get all the bits of lettuce out from between her teeth. Other times, she’d tear a chunk of lettuce of the head with one hand, and shove it between her lips. Eventually she did a duck into the toilets – maybe to rinse her mouth out? – and left empty handed, still sucking her teeth.

No, that’s not iced tea. Or even really weak coffee. After 5 days, the water finally came back on at our office block. And this is what it looked like. Yikez.

It got me thinking that Zimbabweans really are a special breed. They are great survivors. And their stories tell just that.
- Willie Tafadzwa Chinyamurindi writing in the Mail & Guardian

Check out more amazing under water dogs at plays photographs from Seth Casteel.