Zimbabwe Absurdity

Lunchtime today I consoled myself with a mug of coffee and a muffin at a local café. I’d phoned a local hardware store to find a kettle element for the urn that perpetually heats water at work for the labourer’s tea. They don’t perpetually drink tea – the urn is just perpetually on. I don’t know the reason. Eventually the element gave up and after a fair bit of searching I was assured that the hardware store in question had one. It did not. Somebody was telling me what I wanted to hear as is so often the case in Africa. Anyway, the muffin was good. And they gave a 30% discount for cash, notes. The Reserve Bank has assured the restive population that they will make up the shortfall of cash i.e. print some more, before Christmas, but I have my doubts. The queues in the banks have gone; there is nothing to queue for. I have put in a requisition to the bank to draw wages on Thursday and have been assured that I will be able to get it. I really hope so. Not that there is much for the labour to spend it on but I will have done my bit.