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Zim runs out of toilet paper

Oct 24 2007 11:27

Harare - Zimbabweans could soon become a nation of newspaper collectors. Not that Zimbos love reading newspapers or have a sentimental thing for news.

A newspaper has many other uses especially in the toilet. This is because Zimbabwean shops have run out toilet paper.

A survey in city shops revealed that tissues are in short supply in most retail outlets while many Zimbabweans have resorted to importing the sanitary paper from as far as South Africa and other countries for personal use and resale.

A listed group which manufacturers tissues and toiletry is said to be failing to lift production to initial levels after President Robert Mugabe's price controls ruined the company's raw material base.

Mugabe ordered prices of goods be slashed by 50% in June accusing businesses of attempting to remove him from power through a wave of "unjustified" price increases.

This comes a few months after the Zimbabwe All Media Products Survey (Zamps) revealed in April this year that Zimbabweans are foregoing personal care products, such as soap and toothpaste, as they focus on paying for basic foodstuffs.

The use of previously standard personal care products such as toilet soap, deodorants, lotions and dental products declined steeply , according to the survey.

Deodorant usage declined to 19% in the last quarter of 2006 from 37% in the third quarter of the same year, while the use of soap plummeted to 29% from 56%.

Only the use of petroleum jellies increased from 76% to 77%.

The survey also revealed that usage of toilet paper dropped from 62% to 29% in the same quarter as more people resorted to using newspapers and used exercise books, the survey noted.

Zimbabwe is facing its worst economic crisis in history charecterised by high inflation now close to 8 000%.

Critics blame Mugabe for running down the country's once thriving economy through a a series of disastrous economic policies.

- Fin24

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LOLERMANOWNS U
Oct 25 2007 16:38 Report this comment

Dang wow your so smart. look at all of those big words u used. HEY EVERYONE LOOK AT THE GUY BELOW ME! he is so smart. WOOOOOOOOoo.

Raphael de Kadt
Oct 24 2007 22:30 Report this comment

I suggest you enrol for Political Science 101, Philosophy 101 and Constitutional Law 101. There are three main responses to your tautology that ‘"Free Speech" is free speech’, and your assertion that this meaningless tautology somehow justifies the offensive comment: 1) There is a moral response. As specified in our Constitution, rights have to be exercised responsibly. Free speech is limited when free speech defeats the ends of free speech. The cultivation of a climate of racial hate and division clashes directly with the ends of free speech, those being the cultivation of diversity of opinion and respect for human dignity. 2) There is a political argument for curtailment of comment, when such curtailment actually supports free speech. Free speech may be defined by its role in creating a ‘market place’ in ideas in which reason prevails. The offensive comment subverts reason, and relies exclusively on an emotional appeal to racial stereotypes (‘Aryans’ versus ‘apes’) and a gross distortion of history. (I suggest that you begin your proper study of Zimbabwe with a close reading of Professor Claire Palley’s magisterial constitutional and legal history of the former Southern Rhodesia.) 3) There is a legal argument. As Professor Christa de Wet notes, ‘ Freedom of expression does not enjoy superior status in South African law and does not automatically trump the right to human dignity, or the right to equality.’ Further, ‘like other rights, freedom of expression as entrenched in section 16(1) may be limited by complying with the provisions of the general limitations clause (section 36) of the Constitution’ She also notes that ‘freedom of expression is also limited “internally” in terms of section 16(2) of the Constitution’. This Section describes the limits to the right of freedom of expression articulated in subsection (1). Specifically freedom of expression does not permit of (a) propaganda for war, (b) incitement of imminent violence or (c) advocacy of hatred that is based on race, ethnicity, gender or religion, and that constitutes incitement to cause harm. (See Christa de Wet, ‘The Constitutional Treatment of Hate Speech in South Africa’) The offensive comment is in violation of the Constitution, and is presumptively illegal. The Editor would be wise, on all three grounds – moral, political and legal – to remove it.

Ken
Oct 24 2007 21:04 Report this comment

If the truth is the truth it is not racist, nor is it "hate speech". I'd suggest doing a little research into what has caused the problems in Zim. Than you might see that the truth is that after the Whites were removed from ensuring that everything worked, all heck broke loose and the country has been headed down the toilet ever since. And "Free Speech" is free speech. Regardless of your interpretation of it. Try looking up exactly what is protected under the laws of OUR LAND before you spout calls for censorship and make charges of "hate speech" or "hate crimes"

arjunus
Oct 24 2007 17:56 Report this comment

one wonders when this will all end. Thanks to SA's "quiet" diplomacy and general apathy by the rest of the world its the poor people of Zim that are suffering.

Jim
Oct 24 2007 14:06 Report this comment

When the previous government in Zimbabwe was faced with sanctions, as mugabe now claims he is, they got on with things and organised themselves to be more self-sufficient. The present regime there has done nothing to help themselves to anything other than other people's property

Smee
Oct 24 2007 13:52 Report this comment

It'd probably be cheaper to wipe with their Zim Dollars. Sad sad sad.

Kgethi
Oct 24 2007 13:24 Report this comment

Robert Mugabe's face is what many Zimbabweans would like to use to wipe themselves.

Jaybo
Oct 24 2007 12:42 Report this comment

Well at least the Zim newspapers will finally reflect the true state of the Zimbabwean government and economy :-)


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