Zim gears for Christmas with a difference

Edith Kaseke

HARARE – Under a clear African sky, glittering lights illuminate the Harare Gardens and pedestrians stroll confidently in the park, a cool soft breeze sweeping through the city, marking the arrival of Christmas to this devastated country.

Zimbabwe is recovering from a debilitating economic crisis that left the majority of its citizens in miserable poverty, but today they are trying to recapture the spirit of Christmas of yesteryear.

“Christmas is going to be much better than we have endured in the past two years, in fact we never celebrated it in the last two years,” said Stanley Mugwagwa, a photographer working in the Harare Gardens park.

This time last year, the southern African nation was mired in a long recession with many people struggling to eke out a living.

But Zimbabweans say their lives have improved following the formation of a unity government between sworn enemies President Robert Mugabe and Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, somewhat ending political tensions and economic meltdown.

Shops are fully stocked with basic commodities, from sugar to flour, which this time last year were only found on the black market after a controversial government price freeze in 2007 wiped all shops of their stocks.

Travelling has become easier with fuel available at service stations across the country. The era of long queues and empty shops may have gone.

The government introduced foreign currencies early this year, replacing a worthless local currency that was eroded by inflation that had galloped to the world’s highest level of 236 million percent, the worst for a country not at war.

The days of moving around with bags of Zimbabwe dollars to buy even basic commodities are gone as people use foreign currencies like the United States dollar and South African rand and shopping again for Christmas.

“Now we can buy a few things for the children, at least they will remember this Christmas because last year we had nothing, not even bread,” said a woman who identified herself as Mai Gamu, who lives in Budiriro township.

Plastic fir trees, the occasional Santa Claus and banners advertising sales discounts all mark the arrival of Christmas. For the first time in three years, businesses have re-introduced accounts for customers, who can now buy on credit.

A Spar supermarket in the Arundel suburb is stocked mostly with South African imports, from sugar to whisky and they are struggling to cope with frenzied buying by consumers. In downtown Harare, the streets are busy with shoppers looking for bargains.

“The prices are higher here but now we don’t have to drive to South Africa for shopping, that was ridiculous. I am sure this will be a Christmas with a difference,” said an elderly white couple as they carted a trolley from Arundel Spar.

Last year Zimbabweans had to endure long trips to South Africa to buy basic goods like sugar, maize meal, flour and cooking oil as the economy reached tipping point but local manufacturers have started producing the goods again.

However it is not cheers for everyone as incomes remain depressed while the country struggles to get funding from Western donors. An average government employee earns a monthly wage of $150, barely enough to survive the month and there are little prospects that the government will significantly raise the salaries next year.

Mike Mupeti, a primary school teacher at a Harare school summed up the frustration of many civil servants who have on several occasions threatened to go on strike over low pay.

“I am not sure what is better, having empty shops and no money like we had or stocked shops but with no money to buy with,” he said while drinking opaque beer from a shake-shake (cardboard package), recently re-introduced in the market by Delta. – ZimOnline