Zimbabwe Absurdity

I was delighted to read in yesterday’s Independent newspaper that the ruling ZANU-PF party is broke. Apparently during this last year 1.6 million membership cards were distributed to the various provinces but only US$675 from their sale was returned to the party’s HQ. Some 500,000 of the cards were given out to “members”. It was not clear how the party will generate funds but it was going to “devise more imaginative ways” to get the cash flowing in the coming year.

The ZANU-PF congress is on at the moment. In years gone by it was held at luxurious hotels around the country but now it is in the headquarters in Harare – which I would think is indicative of their financial woes. I made the mistake of driving past, or at least trying to, this morning when Bob was due to open the “festivities”. Spotting the snarl of traffic ahead I did an illegal U turn and went another way. Quite which parastatal companies coffers have been plundered to put on the congress has not been revealed but there was no shortage of delegates eager to gorge on the spoils.