Zimbabweans reflect amid recovering economy
Monday, November 14th, 2011 at
10:20 am
Al Jazeera English is marking five years on air this month and looking back at some of the stories we covered on our first day of broadcast. One of those was from Robert Mugabe Street in the capital of Zimbabwe, a country in which the unemployment rate hovered at 80 per cent. Five years later, that has not changed. Charles Dambiranwa, a taxi driver in Zimbabwe, makes roughly a day - enough to fill up his car and stay in business. But finding fuel was not always this easy. He remembers what Zimbabwe was like five years ago. Al Jazeera's Haru Mutasa reports from Harare.
Tags: haru mutasa, zimbabwe, aljazeera, al jazeera
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Did she say he makes $50?? That dude is 3rd world ballin'!
@SkullOfYorick lol
In five years or less time for round two Zimbabwe!
Zimbabweans using the US currency as the choice for everyday use. Big mistake, With the US in debt ($15+ trillions) and no way to fix or pay it`s debt down. In about 15-20 yrs, the only useful thing for the green back is to wipe your ass with it. Now that is realy good for the enviroment. Green toilet paper.
Bring back Ian Smith and Rhodesia.
This is just austerity measures with a smile. You see, destabilize the old economy with civil unrest, get international assistance threw the IMF and UN organizations. Deprive the people which will incite chaos and fear, have the same organizations' contractors offer an international solution, adopt the debt issued by the international community to "stabilize" the market, and there you have it. 101 on economic slavery for generations...did I mention with a smile?
@testing88534 You are correct. I am just suggesting that economies can thrive when people are given a choice of currency, rather than having one forced upon them.
@SuperiorBullion, even then, that same article you cited does state the the US dollar specifically remains one of the most popular legal tenders at the moment compared to the other currencies available.
Great video.
1960 Rhodesia was the bread and butter of Africa...2010 no jobs no food and no life...
@NORDSTRAND83
It might be more useful to see it as a form of tax, something called seigniorage. You are liable to pay for the cost of printing the money, and extra. Yes, Zimbabwe will be subject to anything monetary policy the United States embarks upon. But they have no choice. Either that, or starvation.
@nem700 Did not know that countries that wanted to use the US dollar had to pay for it? How does this system work? Also, I thought because of the recent financial crisis that the US wanted to devalue their currency and that the country is therefore printing money. Won't Zimbabwe using the US dollar have the opposite effect of devaluation?
Thanks by the way!
@NORDSTRAND83
All countries that use foreign currencies have to pay to use that currency; the benefit of Zimbabwe using the dollar is clear to see. The US economy itself is based on the demand for dollars. It is its main export. Because of growing instability in the world economy the US has to find more ways of filling its reserves, and selling dollars is a good way to go. As far as the IMF, the US IS the IMF. It does not do anything without US co-sign.
The items in her basket that "now" cost less than 10USD actually cost about 20USD for the average US consumer. Nevertheless...I'm glad for the people there. They didn't ask for what they've had to endure..but average Americans in their sloth are a little more responsible for what they're about to receive.
@cleanhomer Many things can affect it. For one, employees don't make nearly as much as American counterparts, so the cost associated with production will be lower. Also, supply and demand can easily affect market price, especially in a country that needs to keep their prices low for the high unemployment.
@nem700 Really? I did not know that. What is the benefit to the IMF and US of Zimbabwe and other countries using the US dollar?
@NORDSTRAND83
the imf destroyed it to consolidate the dollar's hegemony. america wants the whole world to use the dollar, the imf serves to help.
@cleanhomer Um, extremely low wages for cashiers, drivers, etc etc. would account for the minute price difference you seem so perplexed about. Also, freaking DUH their food inspection standards are lower than developed countries, you honestly believe with all their problems that they take food inspection seriously?
Also, our farm subsidies artificially lower the price of food on US shelves, that is why our food products are so competitive price wise in even the most impoverished countries.
so mugabe death will free zimbabwe ,just like libya caddaffi
Zimbabwe does not have its own currency anymore?
Al Jazeera is not telling the whole story here about Zimbabwe's currency. Yes, the U.S. Dollar is considered legal tender currency; but it isn't the only currency that's now used there.
What has saved Zimbabwe was the decision to give it's citizens the right to choose their currency. There was an article in The Globe and Mail which discusses this with more detail, do a google search for the words "a choice of currency leads to a choice for security" to read the story from August 23, 2011.
@durbnut145 YOUR MOM LIKED BLACK GUYS BETTER THAN WHITE
Really? Less than $10 for those? From what I can see that basket, it's canola oil, English muffins, a couple of steaks, and... flour?
At my American store, those might go a little over $10. Does Zimbabwe have a lower standard of food inspection & safety, would that be why they might be a little cheaper?