If you were having coffee with me I would ask you if you read today’s paper? I haven’t read it but I can guess what it says and its nothing good. I long decided that if the universe wants me to know something it will eventually get to me…..
So whats been happening in my neck of the woods?…. Lets see, our free falling economy is in a downward spiral which sounds like a fun ride at the amusement except this isn’t the amusement park and its not fun…
If you were having coffee with me I would tell you that the governor of the reserve bank and the new minister of finance released a couple of policy reforms which have started a fire they are busy trying to put out.
One of those being that banks should keep separate accounts for their clients one to reflect Foreign Currency balance and the other for our pseudo-currency, effectively making it “official” that the bond currency is no longer equal in value to the United States Dollar. Also this means that somewhere along the lines money’s value got eroded or stolen or something. For a catch-up on the bond currency you can read this post from last year here: OF BOND AGE
The other reform was to increase tax on all electronic transactions from 5 cents a transaction to 2 cents on every dollar transacted, which translates to a 2% tax (not including bank charges). Because of the cash crisis, Zimbabwe has become a cashless society not by choice but out of necessity and the government saw the volumes of money transacted and decided to expand its tax base, because its running on empty I presume. How do governments make money anyway?
If you were having coffee with me I would tell you that the prices of things are going up and basic goods disappearing from shops, even medication is going up while there seems to be a fuel crisis but of course the government blames Social Media for causing the panic buying that’s resulting in the shortages and that there’s no fuel crisis.
Oh and a few days later they tried to “clarify’ the 2% tax, and include exemptions
looks to me like they are just winging it but what do I know? All I see is prices are going up, goods are being limited in some shops, medication getting hard to find in pharmacies and some no longer accepting medical aid and the fuel queues I witnessed during the weekend show we are running on fumes but of course don’t panic, well that’s what the government is saying I don’t know when we really should panic or at least down right admit we are somewhere at the bottom tier of a meltdown….
If you were having coffee with me, I would tell you that people should start paying more attention to social media, it might have started as an online fad but it has become a powerful tool that can make or break a country, an economy or even a person. Its not just social media………
If you were having coffee with me would tell you that its summer and the Jacaranda lined streets are ablaze in their purple glory, walking on a carpet of their purple mess beneath my feet and the purple canopy above my head its almost easy to forget all my problems. They remind me of a time way back when I was still in school that when you saw the Jacaranda trees blooming you would know that its exam season!!!!!! I always thought that Jacaranda trees were indigenous to us or rather its something I never thought about not until I read this post by Miss Chiseche.
The true meaning of life is to plant trees under whose shade you will never expect to sit your lifetime
~B
PhotoCredit: Jacaranda Bloom @LeeGraphyMedia
Bread rationing Wiliam du Plooy
Becoming The Muse 
How can two loaves feed a big family? All the best to you and yours B.
Do you know what Mugabe once said? That Zambia and Zimbabwe are Siamese twins and the Falls is the umbilical cord. We are facing nearly the same crises. Our fuel prices have gone up, consequently other commodities are costing much more.
Thanks for the tag. I just love the way the flowers litre the ground.
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And of course there are the Chinese circling around like the vultures they are waiting…..
Its weird how alike yet unlike Zambia and Zimbabwe are ^_^
~B
PS The jacarandas are all fun and games until the leaves the tree is in your yard and you have to sweep up that purple mess hahahaha
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I nominated you for an annual Blogging award 😊
https://bitchininthekitchen.org/2018/10/05/annual-blog-awards-2018/
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Ooooh I can now add Blogging Award Nominee to my bio
Thanks
~B
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🤔 Hmm. That is one very tight economy. You know that things are bad when they only allow customers to purchase two loaves of bread.
In The Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, we are free to purchase any number of loaves of bread.
Do enjoy the rest of your day!
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Yeah things are pretty tense an sometimes some of the solutions actually fuel the problem… like oridinarily how much bread do people buy… but suddenly cause you are limited to only two its sydenly not enouh and you figure out inventive ways to buy your bread like going with a friend then changing clothes an going bak in line to buy again hahahaha and you even buying it to eat but so that yiu can sit outside the shop and sell it at a premium because its finished in the shop..
~B
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These Jacaranda trees make for an amazing photo.
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Jacarandas are sooooooo scenic
~B
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People have a lot of power. More than they realize. Use that power to improve your home.
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Power to the People!!!!!!!
~B
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Greetings Beaton. So sad to see your country leaders essentially trying to repeat Brazil’s stunt of moving the decimal point on the value of the currency back in the 1980s I think. Oddly enough, that didn’t turn out well either. I was all wound up over that, but your photos and mention of the previously unknown (to me) Jacaranda trees was heart melting. I am a tree lover all the way through my soul and some simply scream that I need to relax some because a God who is much smarter than me is still in control and dressing our world in some fantastic acts of creativity and beauty.
Okay, I’ll calm down now. Thanks for sharing this gem of an article.
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Thank you Gary I included the trees because number one I love them hahahahahaha they are so scenic in their messy purplyness and also wanted to end the post in a happy note sharing somethimg I genuinely like…
Actually we seem doomed to be repeat our own history we currently dont have a currency because went Super-hyper-inflationary at some point I had a quintillion dollars in my back account thats a whole lot of zeros which is why we dont quite have a currency of our own and have been using USD as an adopted currency
~B
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Those trees are majestic! I would escape from worries, even if just for a while, when walking underneath them! Great post!
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Those trees are magical!!!!!
Thank you
~B
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Oh wow. Africa can be heart breaking. In Uganda and East Africa at large, fuel prices are going up and because of this, basic commodities are up as well. 😕
The Jacarandas are so beautiful! It’s on my bucket list to just come and stand under these majestic trees.
Praying for a better Zimbabwe. And better Africa generally.
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You know the situation is bad when the government releases an official proclamation saying that everything’s going well. I really hope things get better in Zim; this shit is scary.
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A government official was put on the spot when asked to comment on the current spate of shortages that if they were simply a result of the general panic buying then explain how people panic buy prescription medication such that it runs out and his response was I am not saying there isnt a reason for people to panic panic I am saying people shouldnt panic… wait whaaaaat.
Stay Calm
~B
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Haha that’s classic political B.S. What that government official was really saying is that the situation is not good at all!
Stay safe, B.
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