Interesting stuff here...I don't know if this is effective, it might not hurt to register to show support!!

Copied and pasted from AVAAZ-

Dear friends, Trade unionists, church groups, and legal organisations across South Africa are joining to block arms shipments to Zimbabwe. Help show their leaders that the world stands with them--sign the petition now:


CLICK TO ADD YOUR NAME!



CAMPAIGN UPDATE

In ten days, 155,000 people worldwide signed an Avaaz petition urging South Africa's Thabo Mbeki to press for democracy in Zimbabwe--and then flew a massive banner over the United Nations headquarters. The flight grabbed the attention of world media, from South African radio, newspapers, and TV to CNN and the BBC... and the next day, South Africa shifted its position.


Click here to see coverage, and take the next step!




Even as the Zimbabwe crisis worsens, an extraordinary solidarity movement has taken hold across Southern Africa--sparked by a South African dock workers' union that refused to unload a Chinese shipment of Zimbabwe-bound weapons.[1]

Their refusal to facilitate Zimbabwe's crackdown has ignited a wildfire that is spreading across the continent. Now, as pressure builds, China is publicly wavering--and might decide to bring the arms home.[2] Click below to sign a petition to keep arms away from Zimbabwe. The petition will publicly unveiled before the end of this week, and used to lobby key leaders until the crisis ends. Join the call now:

http://www.avaaz.org/en/no_arms_for_zimbabwe/9.php

Three weeks on, the results of the March 29 elections have still not been released, and Zimbabwe's crisis is getting worse. Mugabe's government has unleashed a brutal campaign to retain power. The opposition says that ten have died, and hundreds have been injured; now, a "human wave" of refugees is fleeing to South Africa and other neighbouring countries.[3]

But even as the political emergency deepens, an African-led upswell of resistance has begun to turn the tide. In the last ten days:

More than 150,000 Avaaz members worldwide signed the petition for democracy in Zimbabwe, including citizens of 53 of Africa's 54 countries. The goal: prod South Africa's president Mbeki to pressure Mugabe. To make sure the message got through, Avaaz hired a small plane to fly a 280 square metre (3000 sq ft) banner over the United Nations.[4] The next day, amidst pressure from other governments and worldwide media coverage of the Avaaz stunt, South Africa finally shifted its position on Zimbabwe.[5]
Last week, a Chinese ship carrying 77 tonnes of Zimbabwe-bound weapons and ammunition docked in Durban, South Africa--but, refusing to aid Mugabe's crackdown, the dockworkers refused to unload it. Unions, churches, and legal groups throughout Southern Africa quickly mobilized; the ship was forced to leave the harbour, and other ports in the region are vowing to block the weapons as well.[6]
As the grassroots outcry has grown, political officials have begun to press their case. Zambian president Levy Mwanawasa urged other African leaders not to allow the weapons to reach Zimbabwe.[7] United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon and former UNSG Kofi Annan have called for democracy. And more and more other leaders in Africa and worldwide are joining in.
The Chinese arms ship is now sailing up the Western coast of Africa. Union officials tell Avaaz that it could stop in Namibia to refuel, but is probably headed towards Angola.[8] Time is short. A strong international outcry now can help support the groups in both countries--dockworkers, NGOs, and church leaders--who are working to block the weapons and support Zimbabwean human rights.

There is more at stake here than the weapons in this ship. Together, we can build a consensus that Zimbabwe should not be sold ANY weapons in this time of crisis--and in the longer term, we can build momentum for a strong international Arms Trade Treaty[9]. Moreover, stopping the flow of weapons provides a concrete, immediate step that leaders in the region can take on Zimbabwe--paving the way for stronger actions in coming days and weeks.

Add your name to the petition, and then send this link to friends and family:

http://www.avaaz.org/en/no_arms_for_zimbabwe/9.php

The situation in Zimbabwe is dire. But because of people power--the courage of ordinary workers and community members, standing on principle--the political currents are shifting, and hope is emerging for change. And in the global media, a new strain can be heard amidst the grinding stories of brutality and chaos.

This crisis has many layers, and raises issues that range from the legacy of colonialism to the uncontrolled international arms trade. At the heart of it is the simple idea that every human life is equally precious, and that every person has rights. The people of Zimbabwe took their stand in the voting booth. The dockworkers of South Africa took their stand at the harbour. Now, even if we can only offer a click, it is time to do our part as well.

With hope,

Ben, Ricken, Graziela, Galit, Paul, Iain, Pascal, and Veronique--the Avaaz.org team

Sources:

Business Day: "South Africa: Unions Bid to Halt Zimbabwe Arms Ship." http://allafrica.com/stories/200804220109.html
New York Times: "China Says Shipment of Arms for Zimbabwe May Turn Back." http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/23/world/africa/23zimbab...f=slogin&oref=slogin
New York Times: "Human Wave Flees Violence in Zimbabwe." http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/21/world/africa/21zimbab...rtner=rssnyt&emc=rss
SW Radio Africa: "Mbeki put under pressure at the UN over Zimbabwe" http://www.swradioafrica.com/news170408/mbekipressure170408.htm
Globe and Mail: "South African leader forced to speak up after long keeping quiet on Mugabe." http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.200804...International/Africa
Associated Press: "Zimbabwe's neighbors unite to block arms shipment" http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5i4kT7pJlnuzY_vpKdTACcQYIPcvQD9077G780
Reuters: "Zambia asks African states to bar Chinese ship" http://africa.reuters.com/wire/news/usnBAN223066.html
Ibid.
See http://controlarms.org.
________



ABOUT AVAAZ
Avaaz.org is an independent, not-for-profit global campaigning organization that works to ensure that the views and values of the world's people inform global decision-making. (Avaaz means "voice" in many languages.) Avaaz receives no money from governments or corporations, and is staffed by a global team based in London, Rio de Janeiro, New York, Paris, Washington DC, and Geneva.

Zimbabwe police raid opposition, election offices

By ANGUS SHAW, Associated Press Writer
59 minutes ago



HARARE, Zimbabwe - Heavily armed police swooped down on opposition headquarters and independent election observers' offices on Friday, arresting hundreds and beating and shoving scores of people in the clearest signal to date that the government intends to hold on to power.

Police seized material on vote counting from both offices in raids that came a day after the United States declared opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai had won the presidential elections. Zimbabweans are still awaiting official results. The opposition charges that President Robert Mugabe is using violence and coercion to hold on to power.

The opposition Movement for Democratic Change and the independent Zimbabwe Electoral Support Network both claim Tsvangirai won the vote, based on their own surveys of results posted at ballot stations.

A ZESN board member, who witnessed the raid and spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of arrest, said police ransacked files, looking for documentation on the results.

Noel Kututwa, chairman of the organization, said police wanted to arrest him and his deputy, Rindai Chipfunde-Vava, but that both were away from the office. He said they were both in hiding and accused police of trying to intimidate the group so it would be too weak to monitor a possible run-off.

"They said they were looking for subversive material likely to overthrow government using unconstitutional means," Kututwa told The Associated Press.

The MDC said in a statement that some 250 heavily armed officers raided the building, taking away some 300 people, including staff members.

The opposition said most of those arrested — including pregnant women and mothers with small children — had been seeking refuge after being attacked by ruling party loyalists.

"Their homes were burned," Thokozani Khupe, an MDC vice president said. "Some have been brutally assaulted."

Police said the officers raided Harvest House, headquarters of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change, in search of suspects responsible for the violence that has erupted in Zimbabwe in the wake of last month's disputed elections.

Assistant Police Commissioner Wayne Bvudzijena said he could not say how many people were rounded up. He said the suspects were responsible for "crimes that were committed in the countryside."

Police could not immediately be reached for comment on the raid on the offices of the election observers.

Police took computers and equipment, and searched for key election-related documents, the MDC said.

They are playing right into the US's hands.

quote:

Police took computers and equipment, and searched for key election-related documents, the MDC said.

Hopefully they had all critical data backed-up (or stored) off-site as all Zimbabwean businesses should...

I can't wait until my August Tuskless/Sable hunt!

A prediction (or better stated a guess).

In a few days the election commission will announce the long-awaited results of the recount. Mugabe will have won, but not by a majority, necessitating a runoff. That will take some of the heat off of the calls for the release of the election results. The runoff will be scheduled for a period 60 or 90 days from the announcement. The stated reason for the delay in the runoff will be the need to address the deficiencies and process breakdowns that have lead to the need for a recount in the first place and the resulting delay in the announcement of the election results. In the interim discussions will continue with respect to a national unity government with Mugabe as the transition head. If those discussions collapse the runoff will be held and the newly elected president will be . . . Mugabe. Just a guess . . .

sure does give meaning to the phrase SNAFU

I continue to watch and listen to my friends on the ground. I wish I was going back this year!

My best to those who are headed over...JPK, MJines, Bill C, etc. etc.

Here is another piece of data:

"good day to you russell

thanks for the mail , i phoned the air charter company today , the cost of charter to west nic is 1900 us ,if you wish i can transfer you there with my driver who is very good , god guy and good to speak with, he is safe and knows the way , there are no problems here , all is quiet , i have heard nothing ,the road down is good and wil be fine, but it will take 6 hrs to 7 hrs to get there, nice to see zimbabwe this way..
comfortable vehicle.
i will transfer them for 900 us.

i will keep you posted if anything happens or any news , don,t hear much this side also down to west nic will be fine.
all good with me , let me know.

my best to you
russ "

I spoke to Ben yesterday as well, he says apart from some "normal" voter re-education that goes on every time there is an election, and some farm invasions (that have in many cases been dealt with by the police), things are very very quiet.

That is not to say it's not the quiet before the storm though.

He did add that there have been some cancellations though, and predicted that in contrast to the situation ante, there will be some leftover quota as we get into the season...I don't see anyone fessing up to cancelling on AR? I guess this is where we sort out the goats from the sheep...the goats will be hunting, some on discounted hunts later this year!

Having said all that, I still say if Mugabe manages to steal this election, we hunters and PHs should decline to subsidize his antics in the future. Don't see anyone touching that with a barge pole either.

If they were going to cook the books on the elections, why didn't they do it for the parliamentary recount? MDC retains the majority even after the recount..I believe not one result was overturned.

One explanation is to buy time for the presidential runoff...but who wants to be president when the opposition have the majority in parliament?

Perhaps the plan was to buy time to resupply the military before the coup?

Or to buy time while differences within the party are sorted out?

This really has me scratching my head.

It seems like I read that the President has enough power to get what he wants done over a majority opposition in parliament, but I am no expert on the Zimbabwe system of government.

The latest is that after they finish the presidential vote recount they say they will go over the resutls with representatives of both canditiates to validate them.

We shall see.

I think that the parliamentary recount was "allowed" to be an oppostion win. (smoke and mirrors) If Mr. Mug's election commission has the you-know-whats to announce his win in the presidential race, he can use the parlimentary results as some kind of "proof" that the recount had been "fair."

Who knows, really. I read today that the US is considering adding to its sanctions against Zim. There were no specifics as to what additional sanctions exactly.

Zimbabwe presidential poll recount complete

HARARE (Reuters) - A partial recount of Zimbabwe's disputed presidential election has been completed and verification of the results will start on Tuesday, an election official said on Monday.

"Recounting has been completed in those 5 constituencies that remained. I'm getting the information that they are now collating the results, which will be available tomorrow," Zimbabwe Electoral Commission spokesman Utoile Silaigwana told Reuters.

"Once this process has been completed, the process of verification of the presidential ballots will also commence tomorrow."

(Reporting by Nelson Banya)

can't be good, if this far delayed... what happened, the recounteres had to eat all the ballots that said morgan?

Do not look for a speedy solution. Nothing in Africa happens on time. Maybe by July. Don't really expect presedential results to be anounced for another couple of weeks, then the run off then another recount....

Great, that means I will be there with my clients right in the middle of the second recount...nothing like watching history unfold in front of your eyes.

Russ

Reminds me of what a friend in New Orleans (whose house wasn't damaged) told me recently when discussing Katrina and the aftermath. She said:

"Every one keeps saying these are historic times. I've found that living through "historic times" generally sucks."

Zimbabwe says opposition gets more votes but runoff needed

HARARE, Zimbabwe - Electoral officials say Zimbabwe's opposition leader won 47.9 percent of votes in presidential elections — not enough to avoid a runoff against longtime ruler President Robert Mugabe.

Officials announced Friday that Mugabe won 43.2 percent of votes in the March 29 election. The commission says it will announce a date for a run-off.

Opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai has maintained that he won the vote outright — with more than 50 percent of the vote — and will not contest any run-off. He has accused Mugabe of using the delay to wage a campaign of intimidation and violence

We continue to see people indicating that at some point we should boycot hunting in Zim. It is true that we cannot keep at least some of the money spent in the country from getting in the wrong hands but as long as the Chinese continue to pour money and goods into the country our contribution pales in comparison.

Of even greater importance , the Anglo American and De Beers mining conglomerates continue to do business as usual. In addition to this their labor costs are probably 1/10 what they were due to the collapse of the Zim dollar versus other currencies. Another thing impacted by this is that their energy bills are much less for the same reason. A friend from Zim told me his elec. cost nearly nothing in US $.

I will continue to support the deserving people in Zim who continue to try to maintain a nucleus (however small) to build around when this very ugly worm finally turns.


MHO, Adrian

quote:

Originally posted by Adrian Parham:
I will continue to support the deserving people in Zim who continue to try to maintain a nucleus (however small) to build around when this very ugly worm finally turns.

Ditto. They deserve our admiration and support.

Why not support the "nucleus" without contributing ANYTHING to the govt, as I suggested above? Remember, the govt gets their money by controlling the export of TROPHIES. Yes, this requires some sacrifice on the part of hunters...but would it really hurt to take a hiatus ... send the money you would have spent on a taxidermist to the Zim PH association "fund for change". And if you absolutely positively must have another stuffed head right now, well then I or any other agent can point you in another direction.

I don't think the Chinese are doing anything for nothing. "Pouring" is not the right word...it's a "Trickle" and it's not money, it's shoddy Chinese goods. Everything they "contribute" is an offset for minerals or other raw materials. And there isn't a whole lot of that going on for reasons I will detail below.

Yes, the mining industry is the other half of the equation. It and hunting are the only two sectors of the economy that are still moving. And mining is sputtering..you neglected to mention that minerals must be exported at the official exchange rate. Don't think for a minute that the mining co gets $900 for each oz of gold...they get $900x30,000 Zim which is probably about $9 right now. So the mining co's are not having any kind of party, in fact the mining sector is a shadow of its former self and would easily double in size if the exchange controls were lifted. Another reason to apply some pressure to what I think is the key pressure point. Getting rid of the present govt would help the mining sector as well.

So I think if you were to analyse the sources of real hard currency that the govt taps, hunting would be very very important. I don't think it "pales" at all.

If anybody has done a real analysis of this issue, feel free to share. Hopefully all of this will not be necessary but it doesn't look like Bob is playing by the rules .... in fact he is probably spending some of Adrian's money right now on mobilizing his dogs to beat up the opposition and chase those that remain out of the country, just as he has chased millions out over the last five years.

Evidently my post was not deemed relevant. There is a good portion of those on this forum that hunt Zim. What is happening in Zim is relevant and important to the future of the Zim people and US citizens hunting in that country.

Some of what I posted came straight from a PH and is a call for help. I can send money, but I can also speak.

When is anyone going to take a stand and do something for the good of everyone not just themselves. There are a good many here in the states that talk of hunting with this outfit or that one, and they are the outfits in tight with ZanuPF. Don't feed ZanuPF make an effort to help the oppostion at this time.

I don't care what Debeers is doing. Hell how many guys here hunt with Rautenbachs outfit. Not talking about other industry's. Talking about the one that affects the readers of this forum. Hunting and Tourisim. When the tourisim dollars disappeared in Kenya there were immediate changes. If there is a threat of the $40.0 million US per year disappearing, it may help turn a few more votes and have more people come out to votefor a change in the government.

If the oppostion needs money help them. IF the oppostion says stay away if Mugabe wins then stay away.

I continue to support the PH, his family and workers as best I can. I will continue to provide that support. IF he is run out of the country should Mugabe win, I will help him and his family. What will you do? What are you ready to do?

Rhetorical question not directed at anyone.

I will be hunting with Rodie Tourle for leopard and plains game at Turk mine dollar block NNE of Bulawayo. Rodie's family lost about 20,000 acres to war veterans(squatters). All of his family has moved to NZ, and Rodie himself has a residency permit but NZ is not home, as great as it is.
We met in 2000 while hunting plains game on Andrew Connally's farm in the Matopos (Luma). Luma was in the throes of being overrun at the time. There was no violence just wanton slaughter of the animals and waste of the resources.
If all of the europeans are finally driven out of Zim due to economic necessity then I will be forever through with them. I care about the black African but at this point my heart goes out to those with whom I feel an emotional and philosophical bond.

From Southern Zim the tricks being used to ensure Mugabe stays in power. Redacted

Hope this finds you guys well. Thought you might be interested in this. We had 6 people come out here on xxxxx from ZANU PF. 3 of them were “War Vetsâ€, 2 were army, and the other was CIO. Told me all this quite openly. They called all our labour for a meeting, and made them collect their ID’s first. Took all their names and ID #’’s down.

They then told them that they would know who voted for which party from their ID #’s. I know this is impossible, but our guys actually believe them. There were also threats that if ZANU PF lost again, they would take the farm, and all workers would be kicked off as well. It was said that even in they lost again, they would not accept the results of the elections, and there would be war, so the people must vote for ZANU, if they want to avoid this.

They then selected our most senior guys on the farm, and made a committee, who are now responsible for the outcome of the elections in our ward. The committee was told that if ZANU loses, they will be beaten. They actually know where our most senior guy’s “musha†is in xxxxx. The committee is responsible for making sure everyone goes to vote, and issuing T-Shirts, fertilizer etc… This happened on three other farms in our area yesterday, and apparently they went to “stolen†farms, and made committee’s there as well.

No one was beaten or anything, and the general attitude of our guy’s is that they will sing and dance for these guy’s, but ……

I can't escape the conclusion that these people cannot be helped. I would love to be wrong.

appearantly this is standard operating procedure now though out the country. Under the circumstances there really is no hope. Mugabe will win the next election and if he doesn't then there will be open slaughter of the innocent.

What is totally infuriating is that South Africa could bring this all to a halt any time that they wanted to. all in all it is heart breaking.

quote:

Originally posted by Dogleg:
I can't escape the conclusion that these people cannot be helped. I would love to be wrong.

Unfortunately --- well said!

Elections have been announced for June 27th.

Many of the PH's in Zim quietly or openly support a change. Medical supplies are in short supply and with the increased violence more will be needed. IF you are heading that way anytime soon pack along what you can to help. They will know how to have it distributed.

Double check however to ensure that your PH is not affiliated with ZANU-PF and that he will pass along the supplies to those who need it most.

And in other news, Zimbabwe introduces half-a-billion dollar note .

Zimbabwe's Mugabe will never step aside for rival: wife

SHAMVA, Zimbabwe (AFP) - President Robert Mugabe will never vacate his office for opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai even if he loses a run-off election next month, the Zimbabwean leader's wife said Thursday.

Grace Mugabe told followers of her husband's ZANU-PF party that Tsvangirai's Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) would not be allowed to take power under any circumstances.

"Even if people vote for the MDC, Morgan Tsvangirai will never step foot inside State House," she said after meeting victims of political violence that has rocked Zimbabwe since the first round of voting on March 29.

"He will only get to hear about what it looks like inside State House from people who have been there. Even if Baba (Mugabe) loses, he will only leave State House to make way for someone from ZANU-PF."


Full story here.

Not surprising, although it contradicts this from earlier in the week:

Mugabe would accept defeat in run-off: minister

HARARE (Reuters) - Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe will respect the will of voters if they end his 28-year rule in a run-off election against opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai, the state-run Herald newspaper reported on Monday.

Tsvangirai beat Mugabe in the March 29 presidential poll but failed to win an absolute majority. His Movement for Democratic Change, which has accused Mugabe's government of cheating in past elections, fears it will rig the results of the June 27 run-off.

"If the president loses, he will be the first one to go on national television to acknowledge the result to the people," Emmerson Mnangagwa, a government minister and Mugabe's chief election agent, told the newspaper.

But Mnangagwa added that Mugabe and his ruling ZANU-PF party were confident they would win the second round of voting.

Full story here.

The Despots' Democracy




By Michael Gerson
Wednesday, May 28, 2008; Page A13

"Things on the ground," e-mailed a friend from a groaning Zimbabwe, "are absolutely shocking -- systematic violence, abductions, brutal murders. Hundreds of activists hospitalized, indeed starting to go possibly into the thousands." The military, he says, is "going village by village with lists of MDC [Movement for Democratic Change] activists, identifying them and then either abducting them or beating them to a pulp, leaving them for dead."

In late April, about the time this e-mail was written, President Thabo Mbeki of South Africa -- Zimbabwe's influential neighbor -- addressed a four-page letter to President Bush. Rather than coordinating strategy to end Zimbabwe's nightmare, Mbeki criticized the United States, in a text packed with exclamation points, for taking sides against President Robert Mugabe's government and disrespecting the views of the Zimbabwean people. "He said it was not our business," recalls one American official, and "to butt out, that Africa belongs to him." Adds another official, "Mbeki lost it; it was outrageous."

It is also not an aberration. South Africa has actively blocked United Nations discussions about human rights abuses in Zimbabwe -- and in Belarus, Cuba, North Korea and Uzbekistan. South Africa was the only real democracy to vote against a resolution demanding that the Burmese junta stop ethnic cleansing and free jailed dissident Aung San Suu Kyi. When Iranian nuclear proliferation was debated in the Security Council, South Africa dragged out discussions and demanded watered-down language in the resolution. South Africa opposed a resolution condemning rape and attacks on civilians in Darfur -- and rolled out the red carpet for a visit from Sudan's genocidal leader. In the General Assembly, South Africa fought against a resolution condemning the use of rape as a weapon of war because the resolution was not sufficiently anti-American.

When confronted by international human rights organizations such as Human Rights Watch about their apparent indifference to all rights but their own, South African officials have responded by attacking the groups themselves -- which, they conspiratorially (and falsely) claim, are funded by "major Western powers."

There are a variety of possible explanations for this irresponsibility. Stylistically, Mbeki seems to prefer quiet diplomacy with dictators instead of confrontation. Some of his colleagues in the African National Congress (ANC) -- South Africa's ruling party -- argue that because Mbeki was an exile during apartheid instead of a prisoner or freedom fighter, he has less intuitive sympathy for prisoners and freedom fighters in other countries. South Africa clearly is attempting to league itself with China and Brazil in a new nonaligned movement -- to redress what one official calls an "imbalance of global power," meaning an excess of American power. And longtime observers of Mbeki believe that racial issues -- including Mbeki's experience of raw discrimination during the London part of his exile -- may also play a role. He lashes out whenever he believes that Westerners are telling Africans how to conduct their lives, or who their leaders should be. So for years he viewed AIDS treatment as a plot of Western pharmaceutical companies -- and now he helps shield Mugabe from global outrage.

Whatever the reasons, South Africa increasingly requires a new foreign policy category: the rogue democracy. Along with China and Russia, South Africa makes the United Nations impotent. Along with Saudi Arabia and Sudan, it undermines the global human rights movement. South Africa remains an example of freedom -- while devaluing and undermining the freedom of others. It is the product of a conscience it does not display.

Zimbabwe is the most pressing case in point -- reflecting a political argument within South Africa and a broader philosophical debate.

The labor movement within the ANC, led by Jacob Zuma, is close to the opposition MDC in Zimbabwe (which also has labor roots) and is highly critical of Mbeki's deference to Mugabe. Zuma's faction has provided planes to transport MDC leaders. The labor faction of the ANC is using the Zimbabwe crisis to argue that Mbeki is "yesterday's man" -- indifferent to the cause that gave rise to the ANC itself.

And this debate is clarifying a question across southern Africa: Did revolutionary parties in the region fight for liberation or for liberty? If merely for liberation from Western imperialism, then aging despots and oppressive ruling parties have a claim to power. But if for liberty, those who work for freedom in Zimbabwe must also have their day.

So far, South Africa -- of all places -- sides with the despots.

South Africa is probably 10 years behind Zimbabwe. The ANC, and soon Zuma, are going to screw this country for good.

Saw my first 50 billion note this morning. Being Africa we have lots of 50 million dollar bills a very few 100 million, 500 million and now a bunch of 25 and 50 billion notes. Nothing in between, so change is a problem.

Exchange rate today is somewhere arround 650 Million zim to 1US$

quote:

Saw my first 50 billion note this morning. Being Africa we have lots of 50 million dollar bills a very few 100 million, 500 million and now a bunch of 25 and 50 billion notes. Nothing in between, so change is a problem.

Exchange rate today is somewhere arround 650 Million zim to 1US$

Seloushunter

We all could move to Zim and be trillionaires.

Any updates from those on the ground?

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080604/ap_on_re_af/zimbabwe

quote:

Originally posted by JBoutfishn:
Any updates from those on the ground?

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080604/ap_on_re_af/zimbabwe

I did find the story today (which you link to) disturbing.

quote:

Zimbabwean opposition leader detained by police 1 hour, 1 minute ago



HARARE, Zimbabwe - Police have detained opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai after his convoy was stopped at a roadblock, an opposition party official said Wednesday.

Tsvangirai and a group of about 14 party officials were being detained at a police station in Lupane, north of Bulawayo, spokesman George Sibotshiwe said.

No charges have been put to them, he said. Comment from police was not immediately available.

quote:

Originally posted by Ganyana:
Saw my first 50 billion note this morning. Being Africa we have lots of 50 million dollar bills a very few 100 million, 500 million and now a bunch of 25 and 50 billion notes. Nothing in between, so change is a problem.

Exchange rate today is somewhere arround 650 Million zim to 1US$

Truly amazing. Was 4 million to 1 (official rate of 25,000 to 1) when I was there in December. Ganyana, I would send you a stack of 200,000 notes I have to help "make change" but I am a few sets of zeros behind....sorry.

quote:

Originally posted by Charles_Helm:

quote:

Originally posted by JBoutfishn:
Any updates from those on the ground?

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080604/ap_on_re_af/zimbabwe

I did find the story today (which you link to) disturbing.

quote:

Zimbabwean opposition leader detained by police 1 hour, 1 minute ago



HARARE, Zimbabwe - Police have detained opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai after his convoy was stopped at a roadblock, an opposition party official said Wednesday.

Tsvangirai and a group of about 14 party officials were being detained at a police station in Lupane, north of Bulawayo, spokesman George Sibotshiwe said.

No charges have been put to them, he said. Comment from police was not immediately available.

Not good at all. Tsvangirai has already survived what, 3 assassination attempts and who knows how many beatings. While he is in jail, "baba" is enjoying plush hotels and meals in Rome while attending a conference on, of all things, food crisis....the world is truly upside down.....

mugabe in rome
http://voanews.com/english/Africa/Zimbabwe/2008-06-02-voa40.cfm

Update:

Zimbabwe opposition leader detained, then freed

HARARE, Zimbabwe - The leader of Zimbabwe's opposition was detained by police for about eight hours Wednesday amid ominous signs the government is tightening its grip on the country less than four weeks before a presidential runoff election.

Morgan Tsvangirai, who returned 12 days ago to face President Robert Mugabe in the June 27 runoff, was held with about 14 others from his Movement for Democratic Change at a police station north of Bulawayo before being released late in the day, his spokesman said. No charges were filed against them