[cmeisenzahl]

Robert Mugabe's Zimbabwe, where baked beans cost $30 billion - Telegraph
"On the rare occasions when products are available, the prices are astronomic.

At the TM supermarket in Borrowdale, in Harare's western suburbs, many shelves were bare yesterday. But a kilo of mince cost Z$490 billion, a kilo of sausage Z$170 billion, and a tin of baked beans Z$30 billion.

Despite Zimbabwe's desperate shortage of food, heavy import duties have been slapped onto edible products, and a litre of imported orange juice cost an eye-watering Z$303 billion. Some prices have trebled from a week ago, when lavatory paper worked out at just under Z$22 million for a single sheet of two-ply. There was none in the supermarket yesterday, but by now there is probably an alternative use for the Z$50 million dollar note.

At one Harare restaurant dinner was Z$875 billion per person, and the house wine a little short of half a trillion dollars a bottle."
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worl...0-billion.html

[Andrew Stephens]

As my wife is Zimbabwean we've been interested in this for a long time. Very very sad.

We were hearing on the bbc how the Zim central bank actually goes round the streets of HArare hoovering up US$ every day at 4.30 in order to pay the electricity bills etc. There are still many Mercedes etc on the streets of Harare apparently. Simply holding onto a stash of US$ for a few weeks can make you seriously wealthy thanks to changes in the currencny exchange over this time!

Nice to see Barclays Bank and AngloAmerican getting ready to pump millions of US$ into the economy (or Mugabes pocket) via loans and investments. Capitalism with a conscience.

[HenryMelton]

When I was at Victoria Falls in September (on the Zambian side), I should have pushed harder to pick up some Zimbabwean currency, although I think the largest bill at the time was 200,000 to 500,000 or something like that. Whenever I travel, I come home with a few un-exchanged bills as my memorabilia. I hardly ever shop for trinkets. I do love the designs of the bills and coins, though. US money designs are so top-heavy with anti-counterfeit widgets that the cleaner designs from other countries are appealing to me. Take a look at my blathering about currency in my blog here. and in particular, the African money here.

I had the opportunity to go over onto the other side of the bridge into Zimbabwe, but in spite of the fact that there might have been better pictures from there, the number of absolutely destitute people coming across the river looking for a better situation in Zambia held me back.

[turtle777]

And that idiot Mugabe is still printing new money.

It's time that someone takes him out of office by force.

-t

[introducingimacs]

I have been to Zimbabwe in 2002. They still had 100 dollar notes back then. On the black market 1 US$ would fetch 800 Zim, while you would get 60 Zim at the official bank.

So because of this artificial pricing a litre of imported smirnoff would be half an US$. Poverty on the streets was not that obvious back then.

I learned that Zimbabwe had 2 cement factories that demanded that priced would go up as they couldn't keep up selling their cement in the artificial Zim. Mugabe then opened up his own cement factory to make business impossible. Everything in that country has gone to Robert Mugabe and his cronies. All whites have been beaten out of the country, and I think that all other minorities have shared the same fate, though unnoticed (like chinese and indians)

I heard Robert Mugabe ranks really high on the "wealthiest people of the world"-list. It's the worst statesman ever. He hopes to steal everything from neighboring countries too.

[turtle777]

I know people who have lost EVERYTHING and had to flee Zimbabwe.

They came to the US and and wanted to wait it out. They were good people, very hard working, willing to work lowly jobs to pay for their stay here. They did not seek any government assistance, and relied on a friend and church to support them. He even found a permanent job. Well, no dice. US Immigration kicked them back to Zimbabwe, where they had lost everything.

During the time they got kicked out of the US, the wife was pregnant with (I think) their 2nd child. Shortly after they arrived back in Zimbabwe (having nothing to come back to), she gave birth and died in child labor, possibly due to all the stress related.

Very, very sad. Good job, US Immigration

-t

[Big Mac]

While that is unfortunate, turtle, and I think that the case you describe sounds like asylum was in order, countries should not be expected to tolerate the violation of their immigration laws just because there are people who desperately want to immigrate.

[turtle777]

Originally Posted by Big Mac 

While that is unfortunate, turtle, and I think that the case you describe sounds like a asylum was in order, countries should not be expected to tolerate the violation of their immigration laws just because there are people who desperately want to immigrate.

Well, this family didn't violate any laws. That's why they agreed to leave in the end.

Yes, it's very unfortunate.

What sucks is that the world keeps looking away or even supporting Mugabe. When is too much too much ?

-t

[Tiresias]

Zimbabwe introduces $100 billion banknotes

Zimbabwe's troubled central bank introduced $100 billion banknotes Saturday... As high as they are, though, the bills still aren't enough to buy a loaf of bread. They can buy only four oranges.

The new note is equal to just one U.S. dollar.

CNN

One hundred billion?

Just when I thought the situation in Zimbabwe couldn't possibly become more ridiculous...

[Zeeb]

Does anyone actually still use Zimbabwean dollars? I would think they'd all be using Euros or U.S. dollars by now.