Crisp
one-dollar
notes
that
hadn’t
been
tucked
away
in
shoes
or
socks
were
a
welcome
change,
but
authorities
deciding
to
extract
even
more
from
impoverished
villagers
was
not.
Image:
AdobeStock
Christmas
in
Zimbabwe
was
about
pounding
rain
and
red
mud,
giant
potholes
and
slippery
roads.
The
diaspora
came
home
for
the
holidays,
foreign
cars
and
number
plates
from
South
Africa,
Botswana,
Zambia,
Mozambique
and
Malawi
filling
roads
and
car
parks.
It
was
about
full
trolley
loads
of
groceries
being
pushed
by
diasporans
and
their
long
calculations
as
they
tried
to
navigate
our
largely
invisible
ZiG
currency
and
get
to
grips
with
the
fact
that
shops
don’t
have
coins
to
give
change
so
you
must
buy
items
you
don’t
want
so
as
to
round
up
bills
to
the
nearest
dollar.
It
was
a
time
of
brand
new,
crisp,
clean
one
US
dollar
notes
that
came
in
from
the
diaspora
and
filled
up
tills,
a
time
we
luxuriated
in
clean
bank
notes
that
hadn’t
been
tucked
away
in
shoes,
socks
and
bras,
glued
together
or
washed
and
dried
in
the
sun.
It
was
a
time
National
Railways
staff
didn’t
get
their
December
salaries
at
all
after
a
notice
came
to
all
branch
offices
and
stations.
“December
salaries
will
be
paid
from
the
5th to
23rd January
2026
due
to
financial
challenges,”
it
said.
Railway
employees
were
“implored
to
be
patient
with
the
organisation
during
this
challenging
period”.
Christmas
was
the
time
when
we
faced
the
reality
of
the
IMF
statement
which
said
that
in
Zimbabwe
every
US$100
we
had
saved
in
January
2025
would
only
be
worth
US$77
by
December.
“Prices
are
rising
faster
than
wages,”
it
said,
and
we
saw
that
in
those
bills
we
couldn’t
pay.
It
was
a
time
when
South
African
soldiers
intercepted
1
174
Zimbabweans
trying
to
cross
the
border
illegally
into
South
Africa
in
one
day
on
26
December.
A
week
later
the
numbers
were
much
higher
as
Zimbabweans
headed
back
to
their
jobs
in
South
Africa,
the
jobs
they
cannot
get
in
Zimbabwe,
the
jobs
that
keep
them
alive
and
let
them
support
their
families
back
in
Zimbabwe.
On
3
January
alone
22
483
Zimbabweans
were
processed
through
the
Beitbridge
border
post
going
into
South
Africa.
Expanded
‘development’
levy
…
As
we
moved
into
2026,
rural
villagers
had
to
face
the
reality
that
they
now
have
to
pay
a
‘per
capita
development
levy’.
Formerly
the
levy
had
been
per
household
but
it’s
now
changed
to
per
person.
Under
the
new
system,
rural
district
councils
are
charging
between
US$1
and
US$5
per
person
–
and
it’s
really
hurting
the
poorest
of
the
poor.
“It
is
unheard
of
that
local
authorities
would
extract
money
from
impoverished
villagers,”
said
one
rural
chief.
“People
are
struggling
to
survive.
Many
rural
dwellers
are
the
elderly,
who
are
taking
care
of
their
grandchildren,
whose
parents
are
away
trying
to
make
ends
meet.”
Villagers
quoted
in
Newsday
say
that
despite
their
levy
payments,
nothing
is
changing. “There
are
no
roads,
no
clinics
and
no
clean
water.”
Calm
returns
When
Christmas
and
New
Year
was
all
over
and
the
diasporans
had
gone
home,
I
sat
outside
watching
the
dawn
early
one
morning
thinking
about
our
Zimbabwe
and
how
much
longer
we
must
live
like
this,
struggling
to
survive.
The
sky
was
heavy
with
low-hanging
clouds,
more
rain
and
red
mud
was
coming.
And
I
saw
something
small
and
dark
sitting
on
a
blue
plastic
pipe
floating
in
the
pool.
A
very
small
mouse
was
clinging
on
to
the
pipe,
shivering
and
soaked,
hanging
on
to
survive.
As
soon
as
I
rescued
it,
the
mouse
disappeared
into
the
undergrowth,
free
of
its
struggle.
Sometimes
a
helping
hand
changes
everything
so
quickly.
I
end
this
column
with
a
message
of
recognition
and
thanks
to
the
many
thousands
of
family
members
and
friends
who
came
home
from
the
diaspora
this
Christmas
and
brought
love,
laughter
and
comfort
with
them.
It
is
their
sacrifice
and
helping
hands
that
keep
us
going
and
change
everything.
©
Cathy
Buckle