Zimbabwe 2008 – a year wasted with no bright prospects
With inflation recording 2,2 million percent and economists like Erick Bloch believing it is over 9 million, the economic situation is so bad and distasteful.
For over 4 months the elected legislators and senators have not yet been sworn in. Fresh farm invasions emerged. Zimbabwe saw a number of activists brutally beaten, raped, arrested, killed and tortured.
The National Railways of Zimbabwe (NRZ) has poor signals, accidents, overloading and inefficient departure and arrival times. Road transport has been hit hard by the high shortage of spares and fuel.
Water supply has been affected terribly and it is difficult to get drugs in health institutions which are affecting health service delivery. Raw sewage invades suburbs and rent is now payable in forex.
Zimbabweans, who were expecting the March 29 elections to give them the Zimbabwe they yearn for, were let down big time.
Soldiers and Zanu (PF) militia forced MDC activists to drink Paraquat, a highly toxic herbicide used for weed control.
Zimbabwe’s education has been seriously compromised under the Mugabe administration, producing a poor standard of graduates. The June Ordinary and Advanced level ZIMSEC examinations are still to be marked due to lack of funds to pay the markers.
Hundreds of political prisoners are still languishing in Mugabe’s filthy prison cells country-wide on flimsy, trumped-up charges.
Making calls through cell phones requires extraordinary patience. The networks can no longer cope because of congestion.
Harare has been gripped by a sudden wave of burning transformers, and the Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority (ZESA) puts the blame on vandals who are draining transformer oil.
Hey, all of this is happening and we have only just entered the second half of 2008. Only God knows why?