Zimbabweans Resort To Eating Cow Dung

[Lamont]

http://catholicnewsagency.com/new.php?n=14582

Out of food, Zimbabweans eating cow dung
Political leadership needed to overcome crisis



Harare, Dec 10, 2008 / 08:01 pm (CNA).- Caritas Internationalis is warning that the crisis in Zimbabwe is so grave that people facing crushing food shortages are mixing cow dung with their food.

With pressure continuing to mount on President Mugabe to relinquish his hold on power, Zimbabweans are suffering the consequences of his government’s policies.

Besides the lack of food, people are also suffering a cholera epidemic and crippling hyperinflation.


Caritas Internationalis Secretary General Lesley-Anne Knight reports that "people in Zimbabwe are dropping dead on the streets from Cholera. They’ve witnessed people mixing cow dung with what’s left of their food to make it go further. This is poverty at its most dehumanizing."

Caritas plans to ramp up its aid operations across the country with hunger likely to increase after poor harvests.

A Caritas survey in October found 70 to 90 percent of households going hungry and the remainder on the brink of starvation. At least 5.1 million people are facing starvation out of a population of 13 million people. Additionally, nearly 14,000 cases of Cholera have been reported.

Knight also commented on the political crisis, saying, "Zimbabwe’s political impasse can continue no longer. An effective government that can rectify the policies that have put the country into this position must be established.

"The international community must maintain the pressure on Zimbabwe for an end to this crisis. We must also prepare ourselves for the implosion of the country and the catastrophe that will mean in terms of human suffering across the region."

Zimbabweans have faced discrimination in South Africa and other neighboring countries and Knight warned that they "must address the xenophobia directed at Zimbabwean refugees in their own countries."

"These are very challenging conditions for aid agencies to operate, but Caritas remains committed to delivering aid to the country in its hour of need," she said.

[Totally_Baffled]

Cant the SAS just snipe the twat?(Mugabe)

Or do we fear a massive civil war will just ensue, or maybe they will just replace with another idiot?

[MisterE]

Last thing our world leaders need is the third world entering a new age. Nope most of these horrid people are kept in place and protected by our own, not killed by them I thought this was a terrible thing to read, poor bastards I hope there is a helll in the after life.

[JohnB]

Interesting brief summary of some events in the history of Zimbabwe here. I don't know if Britain should stay out of it as we've done enough damage already, or take some responsibility and try to put things right. Mugabe probably wouldn't be there and doing so much damage if it wasn't for the country's colonial past. He certainly wouldn't have an excuse to blame other countries for the mess he's caused. Whatever happens it's only the ordinary Zimbabweans who matter, and whatever action is taken should be to take care of them, and not to play political and power games.

[revdode]

Cant the SAS just snipe the twat?(Mugabe)

I think the issue is more one of precedent. They don't want to encourage the idea that bumping off leaders who run on a course which is at odds with the interests of the majority of the electorate may be a legitimate action.

[DominicJ]

Regime change in Iraq = bad
Regime Change in Zimbabwe = good.

The people of Zimbabwe fought very hard for and voted for Mugabe, he's there problem.
If any foreign power should be dealing with the problem, it was the Russians who funded and trained Mugabe, not us.

[Cabrone]

Cant the SAS just snipe the twat?(Mugabe)

Or do we fear a massive civil war will just ensue, or maybe they will just replace with another idiot?

After the Iraq debacle and the fact that we are up to our eyeballs in debt I'd be extremely cautious over Zimbabwe.

My guess is that if you topped Mugabe another crazy would just take over the reigns.

[skeptik]

http://catholicnewsagency.com/new.php?n=14582

Out of food, Zimbabweans eating cow dung
Political leadership needed to overcome crisis

Or termites. Very nutritious, as my friend M demonstrates assisted by one of his many young in-laws, Anton, on his recent trip to Harare.

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=7owkH1lar-E

They would, of course, prefer to be eating a huge plate of sadza, greens and spicy beef stew.

[Totally_Baffled]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/7832601.stm

Zimbabwe is introducing a Z$100 trillion note, currently worth about US$30 (£20), state media reports.

Other notes in trillion-dollar denominations of 10, 20 and 50 are also being released to help Zimbabweans cope with hyperinflation.

Yes thats a $100 trillion note....lol (what comes after trillion?)

[Mark]

There's an awful long way to go yet:
http://www.uni-bonn.de/~manfear/numbers_names.php

Perhaps we could run a PowerSwitch sweepstake to see which country will be first to reach a googol ?
My money is on Iceland !

[DominicJ]

lmao cough cough cough damn this bloody cough.

Other notes in trillion-dollar denominations of 10, 20 and 50 are also being released to help Zimbabweans cope with hyperinflation.

Maybe they should stop debasing the currency, then there will be no inflation to cope with

[Totally_Baffled]

There's an awful long way to go yet:
http://www.uni-bonn.de/~manfear/numbers_names.php

Perhaps we could run a PowerSwitch sweepstake to see which country will be first to reach a googol ?
My money is on Iceland !

Wow! Bring on the $1 Septillion note!! E.g

$1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000!

They will need to print it on a A1 piece of paper!

[adam2]

lmao cough cough cough damn this bloody cough.

Other notes in trillion-dollar denominations of 10, 20 and 50 are also being released to help Zimbabweans cope with hyperinflation.

Maybe they should stop debasing the currency, then there will be no inflation to cope with

Or allow the use of real money such as £ sterling or USA $, in the longer term I have only limited faith in those currencies, but they are sure doing better than the Zimbabwe$

[skeptik]

Or allow the use of real money such as £ sterling or USA $, in the longer term I have only limited faith in those currencies, but they are sure doing better than the Zimbabwe$

There's a large black economy in Zim which operates on US dollars or South African Rand. As the Zim dollar is useless as a store of value, the name of the game is to get rid of it as quickly as possible, either by rushing out and buying something or exchanging it for a hard currency.

[adam2]

It would appear that they have admitted defeat re the Zimbabwe dollar, and are now allowing real money to be used.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/7859033.stm