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An Antheap?
Seems more like a festering cancer to me. Ants are useful and an intergral part of the environment. These creatures are parasites of the lowest order - and self destructive to boot.
by Aripho

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29 August 2010 02:14

Load shedding

Zimbabwe has had an electricity crisis of major proportions this past week, writes Cathy Buckle.

We ve had an electricity crisis of major proportions this past week which has bought the routines of everyday life to a standstill. Businesses without computers, offices unable to access records, machines that cannot be operated and of course, no electricity means no water which makes things even harder still. Repeated calls to electricity supplier ZESA have yielded nothing: no explanation, apology or excuses just two little words spat contemptuously at you for daring to ask: load shedding they say. 12, 15, 18 and even 22 hours a day we ve been subjected to load shedding at a time when the country is desperate for business, production and growth.

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22 August 2010 02:42

Nothing local

Zimbabwe is now completely dependent on outside countries for almost everything they eat.

Having a meal with friends this week, the conversation turned, as it almost always does, to politics. First the talk was about the constitutional outreach programme which has degenerated into party politics in most areas and left people afraid to attend, scared to speak and facing the consequences of daring to voice their opinions - particularly if they are in rural areas. Then the discussion was about elections - when they should happen; with or without a new constitution and with or without international supervision were a few of many burning questions. Then came the dual citizenship issue and the disenfranchisement of so many Zimbabweans who now hold foreign passports either because they have been in exile during our country's decade of mayhem or because they've been struck off voters rolls and declared 'alien' if their parents were born outside the country.

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15 August 2010 23:14

Zimbabwe's dirty little stones

We have lost our way when stones are more valuable than human life, writes Cathy Buckle.

While international supermodel Naomi Campbell was testifying about a pouch of "dirty little stones" at the war crimes trial of ex Liberian President, Charles Taylor, Zimbabwe's own controversial, dirty little stones, began making headlines.

Everything about Zimbabwe's Marange diamonds is highly contentious including:

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08 August 2010 06:51

The real heroes

The ordinary Zimbabweans are the real heroes in 2010, writes Cathy Buckle.

As Zimbabwe commemorates Heroes Day, the official remembrance is again dominated by Zanu PF individuals. Every day we are bombarded with Zanu PF propaganda on the country's only television channel: big breasted, big bottomed women wriggling their bodies, waving their fists and singing endless refrains in praise of Zanu PF. We hear nothing of heroes from other political parties; nothing of the thousands who have died in the last decade in the struggle for good governance, democracy and new leadership in our country. We hear nothing of the ordinary Zimbabweans who are the real heroes in 2010. This letter is for them, heroes of the last decade.

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01 August 2010 05:10

Tell us the answer

Wages are the tip of the iceberg when it comes to employing people in Zimbabwe.

After my letter last week in which I mentioned the enormous disparity between the daily amount being given to constitution outreach technicians (70 US dollars) compared to the daily wage of a civil servant (5 US dollars), I got a very angry email from a company owner.

"I don't know why you keep on about the workers, the employers have it much worse, " the lady wrote.

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