When is a fall not a fall? When Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe's spin doctors say s

[Captain Obvious]

This is good $#@!.

http://www.smh.com.au/world/when-is-...05-137iln.html

A photo of Zimbabwean dictator Robert Mugabe tripping on a red carpet has become a source of ridicule on social media following offical denials that the leader even fell.

Mugabe missed a step as he walked off a podium at Harare International Airport, where he was addressing supporters on Wednesday. He had just returned from Ethiopia where he was elected African Union chairman last week.

Zimbabwean state media and spin doctors rushed to defend the honour of the 90-year-old President, saying "even Jesus" would have tripped under the circumstances.

[Green Arrow]

There are some great memes on that.

[Hal Jordan]

I love a good meme...

[waltky]

Zimbabwe to print US dollar equivalent...

Zimbabwe to print own version of US dollar
Thu, 05 May 2016 - Zimbabwe is set to print its own version of the US dollar in order to ease severe cash shortages in the country.

Central bank governor John Mangudya said the cash, known as bond notes, will be backed by $200m (£140m) support from the Africa Export-Import Bank. The specially-designed two, five, 10 and 20 dollar notes will have the same value as their US dollar equivalents. Zimbabwe introduced the US dollar after ditching its own currency in 2009 following sustained hyperinflation. Since then Zimbabweans have been using the dollar as well as a number of other foreign currencies including the South African rand and the Chinese yuan.

Zimbabwe dollar note

But the BBC's Brian Hungwe in the capital, Harare, says that bank customers are not always able to withdraw the amount of US dollars they want because of a shortage of dollar notes in Zimbabwe. The governor stressed that the issuing of bond notes was not the first step on the way to reintroducing the defunct currency, the Zimbabwe Herald newspaper reports. Mr Mangudya also introduced a number of other measures to steer people away from using US dollar cash. This includes setting a $1,000 limit on how much cash can be taken out of the country. He wants to encourage people to make greater use of the rand since a large portion of Zimbabwe's trade is with South Africa.

But our correspondent says that people are reluctant to hold rands as they are not confident that the currency will maintain its value against the dollar. He adds that not all shops and traders accept the full range of currencies officially in use. The central bank brought in so-called bond coins of one, five, 10 and 25 cents, pegged to the US dollar, in 2014. Mr Mangudya said the bank was still working on a design for the new notes, but they should be in circulation "within the next two months", the Herald reports.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-36210680

See also:

Zimbabweans hunt for US cash as shortages bite
May 5,`16 -- Severe shortages of U.S. dollars that are used as local currency in Zimbabwe have forced many residents into cash hunter-gatherers.

This week, Zimbabwe's central bank imposed measures in an attempt to ease the cash crunch, which reflects the country's dire economic situation. The measures include reducing the amount of money that travelers can take outside the country and limiting daily cash withdrawals.

Long lines are frequent outside banks, where tellers limit daily withdrawals to $200.

Since Zimbabwe's currency collapsed in 2009, the country has officially used nine currencies, including the U.S. dollar, the euro, the South African rand, the Indian rupee, the British pound and the Chinese yuan. In practice, the U.S. dollar is the de facto official currency.

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories...05-05-08-06-30

[Common Sense]

LOL...Didn't Trump's new campaign manager work for this guy?

Oh no, that was Mobutu.

[waltky]

Demonstrations now, civil war next?...

Thousands march for Mugabe as he raps 'treasonous' groups fighting to succeed him
Thursday 26th May, 2016 - Thousands of people marched through Zimbabwe's capital Harare on Wednesday in support of President Robert Mugabe as he denounced "treasonous" factions in his ZANU-PF party feuding over who should succeed the 92-year-old leader.

Mugabe is the only leader the southern African nation has known since independence from Britain in 1980. He has said he wants to live to 100 and remains fit, denying local media reports that he has prostate cancer. As senior members of ZANU-PF manoeuvre for advantage in a post-Mugabe era, two factions have emerged, one linked to Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa and one to Mugabe's wife Grace. "There should never be little groups to promote so and so. Those little groups are treasonous groups, they spoil the party," Mugabe told tens of thousands of faithful who gathered for a "One Million-Man" march in Harare. "Let us not hear discordant voices from whomsoever. All this thing about factions is new to us, it destabilises the party," said Mugabe, touting the march as a "great revolutionary act" by ZANU-PF youth.

First Lady Grace Mugabe told the crowd earlier that the veteran leader was irreplaceable and the unifying force in ZANU-PF who would continue to lead Zimbabwe even in death. Mugabe said local private media calling on him to step down should "go hang", adding that the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) also wanted him to resign because they feared he would defeat them again in elections. MDC spokesman Obert Gutu said Wednesday's march was an attempt to paper over ZANU-PF's disintegration. "The majority of Zimbabweans are living in grinding poverty and are not happy. So ZANU-PF wants to divert people's attention from the collapsing economy and to massage Robert Mugabe's ego," he said. "If anything, Zimbabweans should march and demand Mugabe's immediate resignation from office."

Demonstrators were shipped in from all over Zimbabwe for the march, organised by the ZANU-PF's youth wing. They sang pro-Mugabe songs as they spilled out of buses in downtown Harare. Mugabe's supporters call him an African icon who stands up to the West. Critics say he has ruined a once promising economy with policies such as the seizure and redistribution of white-owned commercial farms, which devastated agriculture. "We are here to tell everyone that the youth league is 100 percent behind comrade Mugabe's leadership," said Prosper Machado, a youth leader from central Zimbabwe. "We are saying no to factionalism because President Mugabe is the only centre of power that we recognise. He is our candidate for 2018 (elections) and so there is no vacancy."

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/...b/2816604.html

[waltky]

Mugabe needs to let go of some o' dat money he's been hoardin'...

Cash-strapped Zimbabwe government delays military salaries
Jun 19,`16) -- Zimbabwe's cash-strapped government has announced it will delay paying June salaries for the military and police by up to two weeks.

It said other workers on the state payroll will only receive their salaries next month. The military will be paid on June 27 and the police three days later, said the finance ministry in a notice dated June 16. Civil service workers in other departments will only get their June salaries in mid-July, it said. The military, a key pillar of President Robert Mugabe's rule, is usually the first to get paid around mid-month.

Zimbabwe has been delaying pay dates for its employees for nearly a year due to revenue problems, but this is the first time the salaries have been delayed so long. "Against the background of severe revenue under-performance and related cash flow challenges government has been honoring its wage bill obligations, albeit, through the continuous shifting of pay dates," read the notice.

Zimbabwe has been under pressure from the International Monetary Fund to cut its wage bill, which consumes more than 80 percent of government revenue. The government is the country's largest employer with 554,000 on its payroll, according to figures presented to parliament by Finance Minister Patrick Chinamasa. About 40,000 are in the military.

Mass factory closures have caused the government's tax revenue to decline. Low foreign direct investment and a ballooning debt have worsened the situation. imbabwe is not operating with its own currency, but instead uses the U.S. dollar and other currencies as its legal tender. A shortage of the U.S. currency has caused severe cash shortages. The result has been long bank lines as people struggle to get cash from their savings and salaries.

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories...06-19-10-02-35

[waltky]

Zimbabwe's economy implodes...

Zimbabwe 'shut down' over economic collapse
Wed, 06 Jul 2016 - The streets of Zimbabwe's main cities are deserted during a nationwide stay away to protest at the lack of jobs and unpaid wages.

The protests were organised through the messaging site WhatsApp but it is not clear which group is behind it. The internet was often unavailable on Wednesday morning but the government has denied blocking it. The BBC's Brian Hungwe in the capital Harare says it is one of the biggest protests in many years. Protesters also set up burning barricades in Harare.

Schoolchildren run past a burning barricade, following a job boycott called via social media platforms, in Harare

Some of the messages calling for a stay away also urged President Robert Mugabe to step down. The 92 year old has governed the country since independence in 1980. On Twitter, activists have been using the hashtag #ShutDownZimbabwe2016 to mobilise support. Many civil servants have not been paid in more than a month - they went on strike on Tuesday.

On Monday, taxi drivers complaining about police extortion clashed with the security forces in parts of Harare. The economy has also been hit by currency shortages and a severe drought. "I can't go to work when the rest of the country is not going to work," Sybert Marumo, who works for an electrical shop, told the AFP news agency. "Life is tough and we need to show the government that we have been stretched to the limit."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-36724874

[waltky]

Nationwide general strike...

Zimbabweans stay at home in protest against economic hardships
Thursday 7th July, 2016: Zimbabweans stayed at home on Wednesday and foreign banks and most businesses in the capital shut down, in one of the biggest protests against high unemployment, an acute cash shortage and corruption for nearly a decade.

Evan Mawarire, a pastor whose social media movement #ThisFlag organised the "stay-away", demanded that President Robert Mugabe fire corrupt cabinet ministers and scrap plans to introduce local bank notes or face a two-day shut-down next week. Wednesday's protest followed violent clashes between taxi drivers and police on Monday that led to the arrest of 95 people. It also coincided with a strike by doctors, teachers and nurses whose salaries had been delayed. A devastating drought has compounded economic hardships including high joblessness while an acute cash shortage has angered Zimbabwe's citizens.

In a story quoting John Mangudya, the governor of Zimbabwe's central bank, the Financial Times reported on Wednesday that the African Export-Import Bank was arranging a seven-year loan of US$986 million so Zimbabwe could pay back arrears to the World Bank. The FT quoted Mangudya as saying Zimbabwe hoped to pay off its arrears before the September board meetings of the International Monetary Fund and the African Development Bank, paving the way for IMF assistance to alleviate its cash crunch. Afreximbank and IMF officials could not immediately be reached for comment.

CAMPAIGN ATTRACTS THOUSANDS

The 39-year-old Mawarire started the #ThisFlag campaign in April to protest against corruption, injustice and poverty. The campaign has attracted thousands of followers who have been speaking out against government excesses. Wednesday's protest was organised via Twitter, Facebook and WhatsApp. Mawarire's campaign includes a series of demands: for Mugabe to fire and prosecute "known" corrupt ministers, for government salaries to be paid on time and for police to remove roadblocks which most people say are posts for bribe taking officers. "The ball is in your court," Mawarire said on his Facebook page. We are ready to close down again and this time we will add another day, Wednesday and Thursday. We are not playing and we ask you to take us seriously." Mugabe's spokesman, George Charamba, was not available to comment.

State telecoms regulator POTRAZ said in a statement it would arrest people sending "subversive" messages that cause unrest. Mugabe, who has held power since Zimbabwe gained independence from Britain in 1980, was attending a scheduled meeting on Wednesday of his party ZANU-PF's politburo, the party's top executive organ. Party spokesman Simon Khaya-Moyo declined to say whether ZANU-PF would discuss the protests. In the volatile township of Mufakose, to the west of Harare, hundreds of youths barricaded roads to keep people from going to work, Reuters witnesses said. More than 40 people were arrested across Zimbabwe for blocking roads and disturbing the peace, said Charity Charamba, a police spokeswoman. Among them was a Belgian tourist held in the resort town of Victoria for unlawful protests, she said, correcting her earlier statement that an Australian had been detained.

MORE

[waltky]

Hunger, starvation and death in Zimbabwe...

Child hunger and death rising in Zimbabwe due to drought, charity says
July 20, 2016 - Child hunger and deaths are rising in Zimbabwe due to the worst drought in two decades, with thousands facing starvation by the end of the year without additional aid, an international charity said on Thursday.

Southern Africa has been hard hit over the past year by drought exacerbated by El Niño, a warming of sea surface temperatures in the Pacific Ocean, which has wilted crops, slowed economic growth and driven food prices higher. "This is an emergency," Save the Children UK's interim chief executive Tanya Steele said in a statement, after visiting Binga, on Zimbabwe's western border with Zambia. "Some children are already dying of complications from malnutrition." Mothers are foraging for wild berries and roots to feed their children, while going without food themselves for up to five days, the charity said. The number of under-fives who have died of hunger-related causes in Binga town has reached 200 over the last 18 months -- triple the usual rate, it said.

More than 60 million people, two thirds of them in east and southern Africa, are facing food shortages because of droughts linked to El Nino, according to the United Nations. The U.N. World Food Programme estimates around 4 million people -- one in three Zimbabweans -- are struggling to meet their basic food needs. The peak of the emergency is likely to be between October and March, the U.N. children's fund (UNICEF) said. Hundreds of young children across the country are being admitted to hospital for malnutrition each month, it said, while child neglect, abuse and child labor are on the rise. HIV/AIDS is often one of the underlying causes of malnutrition in Zimbabwe, where 15 percent of adults are living with the disease, U.N. figures show.

The number of children suffering malnutrition is expected to rise sharply in the coming months, Save the Children said. "Most of the severely malnourished children who receive no help are likely to die," it said. "Around half of these with moderate acute malnutrition could also perish without some form of intervention." El Nino ended in May but meteorologists predict a La Nina event, which usually brings floods to southern Africa, is likely to develop in the second half of this year, Erratic, late rains in Zimbabwe led to a poor harvest in April, with some families suffering their second or third consecutive year of poor production, according to the Famine Early Warning Systems Network (FEWSNET).

https://www.yahoo.com/news/child-hun...35.html?ref=gs