Hope for Good Harvest Fading - Laura Johnson 10/31/08

Just nine years ago, Zimbabwe was known for assisting many countries in Africa which did not produce enough food. This once peaceful and prosperous nation was known as the “bread basket” of Southern Africa. However, now the country is starving; Zimbabwe requires an annual total of one million tons of grain for human consumption and 400,000 tones for industrial use, but with haphazard preparations behind schedule and the ZANU-PF party allocating all resources to their supporters, it is very unlikely to happen.

A lot of people are straying into the poverty and over 70% are living below the poverty datum line. . Growing poverty is the major issue for Zimbabwe the country continues to slip further into chaos, hunger, and economic collapse with no signs of rains, available fertilizer, or maize seed in sight. The unemployment rate is at 80%, which is driving many Zimbabweans into desperation. Rural children no longer go to school because they are out in the streets scraping for food. The price of basic commodities changes at least twice a day, the prices continuing to increase even though they are far below standard. In other countries when inflation hits 50% it is considered a national disaster. Inflation has hit 231 million percent in Zimbabwe, which is unthinkable for most nations around the world. Supermarket employees spend a considerable amount of time changing price tags every day.

It is hardly fathomable to believe the hardships experienced by Zimbabweans every day. Nothing is secure. Nothing is reliable. The ZANU-PF party led by President Mugabe continues to push the nation further and further into poverty while only a select few of his supporters gain what little profit can be found. The DMC party is horribly underfunded and cannot possible gain support because of the inhumane sufferings experienced by supporters from the ZANU-PF. Not only is there no money found in the economy, no money sponsors the infrastructure, and no money sponsors the only healthy political party, anther dilemma facing Zimbabwe’s poverty is coping with HIV/AIDS. About 1,000 people die a day because of AIDS-related ailments. The emotional, social, and economic ramifications have been serious and continue to go downhill for all Zimbabweans.

http://www.thezimbabweindependent.com/business/21446-hope-for-a-good-harvest-fading.html