Monday, August 20, 2007

An economic noose tightens in Zimbabwe

It just keeps getting worse. Zim is about to collapse:

bulawayo, zimbabwe -- He has lost his export customers, struggled with power cuts and shortages of foreign currency and raw materials. He has raised prices several times a month to keep up with hyperinflation. He has shrugged off government inspectors angling for bribes.

Through it all, clothing manufacturer Anthony Robinson has always managed to turn a profit.

Until now.

The new enemies of President Robert Mugabe's regime inhabit one of the country's last productive sectors -- manufacturing and retail. In an Orwellian twist to Zimbabwe's downward spiral, more than 7,000 of them have been arrested and jailed in recent weeks, accused of breaching draconian new price controls.

Among them are many senior black managers of national retail chains. Robinson, a 60-year-old white Zimbabwean, fears he could be next.

"Everyone is terrified," he said. "To be honest, you don't have to contravene anything. If they want to put you in jail, they'll put you in jail."

Even if he doesn't end up behind bars, Robinson says, he'll probably be out of business in a couple of months. Read More.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Based upon your experience....if Zimbabwe does collapse, which way will it fall? Total chaos followed by freedom or by another dictator?

Ron Ballew said...

Difficult to say. One third of the pop have already left and they would have been the middle and upper class.

I can see some serious fighting between Shona and Ndebele. Mugabe is Shona. After that, anarchy. It will take a long time for the country to get back on its feet.

If Morgan Tsvangiri (leader of the opposition) makes president they may have a chance of not becoming a dictatorship.

Lots of if, and it is really hard to tell except we will see a period of anarchy.