Dear Family and Friends,
They are selling cows in drought affected rural areas for as little as
50 US dollars a head. Normally villagers can expect to realize 300 –
400 US dollars for a cow but not this year. Things are so tough, money
so short and conditions so hard that in some areas people are selling
their cows because they can’t afford to keep them alive.
“Stock feed,” one man said to me in exclamation; “we can’t
even afford to feed ourselves, let alone the cattle.”
Sixteen years ago this month land invasions began in Zimbabwe. At the
time we were told they were “spontaneous demonstrations,” and as
unbelievable as it is, they are still going on today. For every day,
week, month and year that farm grabs continue, Zimbabwe remains in a
perilous place. We are no longer self sufficient in food and for the
last fifteen years have been importing at least eighty percent of our
food from South Africa, Zambia and further afield. In my grocery bag
this week the tea and eggs were local but the cereals, milk, cheese,
coffee, butter and cleaning products were all imported. The bread is
locally made but the majority of the ingredients used to produce it
are imported.
In the last fortnight there have again been new farm seizures and
evictions. Some make local and international news, others don’t, but
the result is the same: less food, less employment, less money in
pockets, less national income and for everyone involved: hunger,
homelessness and despair.
It is sickeningly ironic that at the same time as this is happening a
new 15% VAT duty on imported food has just come into effect. Imported
products subject to the new VAT include the most basic ingredients in
our shopping baskets such as : maize meal, flour, rice, cooking oil,
potatoes, margarine, eggs, fruits and vegetables. Depending on which
version of the propaganda you read the new tax on imported food is to
either generate more income tax revenue or to “protect local
industry from cheap imports.” Whatever the real reason for the new
VAT on imported food, it couldn’t come at a worse time for the 90%
of ordinary Zimbabweans who are unemployed and already struggling to
feed themselves and their families.
But don’t worry! The government of Zimbabwe have just launched a
national and international appeal for US$1.5 billion dollars to
support sectors affected by drought. Vice President Mnangagwa said the
most affected sectors are food and nutrition, agriculture, water,
education, health, and wildlife. According to a report in the
Financial Gazette, “Assistance can be in cash or food items
“palatable to the populations” and these include maize, mealie-meal,
small grains, flour, sugar beans and other legumes, dried fish and
various types of dried vegetables, powdered milk, peanut butter,
cooking oil, sugar, salt, maheu and baby formula.” Apparently grain
importation has the largest budget in the appeal with US $717 292 000
being needed. Hmmm, now what’s 15% VAT on 717 million US dollars
worth of imported grain? And hmmm again, aren’t most of the items on
the requested food aid list also subject to the new 15% VAT?
Until next time, thanks for reading, love cathy 12th February 2016.
Copyright © Cathy Buckle. www.cathybuckle.com
<http://www.cathybuckle.com/>
For information on my new book: SLEEPING LIKE A HARE” or my other
books about life in Zimbabwe: “MILLIONS, BILLIONS, TRILLIONS,”
“CAN YOU HEAR THE DRUMS,” “INNOCENT VICTIMS” “AFRICAN
TEARS”, “BEYOND TEARS” and “IMIRE,” please visit my website or
contact [email protected] <mailto:[email protected]>
. (To see pictures of images described in this and other letters go
to: http://www.facebook.com/cathybuckleafricantears