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Selling to survive

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Yesterday we had a power cut in our shopping centre from about 9am until 10pm. Not being one to sit in a slump I took myself off to do some local area research. What I discovered:

- the optician across the road has ancient dusty sunglasses on sale for about Z$149 000 a pair

and that next door to them

- Kenge gourmet sandwiches are selling for Z$10 000 bucks a bap.

As I wandered through the shopping centre the contents of a letter I received the day before came to mind.

I am a male adult aged 48 years. Presently I am a pensioner getting a paltry sum of Z$13 000/month pension. I worked in the Police for a period of 27 years having joined in January 1977 in the then British South Africa Police. Please help me.

Maybe he can join the 30 vendors moving about the shopping centre selling to survive. I made a list of what they’ve got in their hands on any given day:

electric power strips
flowers
mangoes
shoes
bananas
steering wheel covers
brooms
windscreen wipers
onions
feather dusters
padlocks
naartjies
potatoes
wallets
door locks
buddie cards

3 comments to “Selling to survive”

  1. Comment by …My heart’s in Accra » Zimbabwe: Where’s the breaking point?:

    [...] – A monthly pension for government employees of $13,000 (about $3 USD), which buys a sandwich. [...]

  2. Comment by Josh:

    This is just amazing! How Mugabe could have let this situation get out of hand is just outrageous.

  3. Comment by John:

    If you had oil you would be “rescued” by a super power