George Sachirarwe would love to share Christmas with his family in rural Zimbabwe, but he is so strapped for cash he will stay put in Harare instead.
”I would have loved to go home but what would I buy for my parents? I can’t even afford to buy them the most basic goods,” says Sachirarwe, who works as a machine operator at a plastics factory in the capital.
”I’ll just send my parents some money, but it won’t be much just in case the company doesn’t open again in January,” he said.
Like so many other Zimbabweans, Sachirarwe’s Christmas cheer has been snuffed out by the dire state of the economy and fear that things are only going to get worse in the beleaguered Southern African country.
With unemployment at around 80 % and household staples such as oil and bread often running out, few can afford to quaff on festive food and drink.
Fuel shortages have also made it near to impossible for others to leave cities such as Harare and Bulawayo to travel back to their families in the countryside over the holiday period.
The galloping inflation rate, which currently stands at a world record 1 098 %, has also helped push the price of public transport beyond the reach of most people.
The bus fare from Harare to the second city of Bulawayo is Z$11 500 ($46), up from Z$7 000 in early November. In December last year, the same trip cost Z$3 000.
”Since I started working in 2003 this is the first time I am not going home because it is too expensive for me to travel,” says Sachirarwe, whose family come from the Mutare region, about 260km east of Harare.
While civil servant Tsitsi Shava can at least spend Christmas with her two children, she admits that they won’t be getting any presents.
”I cannot think of Christmas and New Year’s celebrations when we are struggling to get most basic commodities like sugar or bread from the shops,” says the 33-year-old.
Instead of buying presents, Shava will now put the money aside to pay for her children’s school fees next month.
The Consumer Council of Zimbabwe (CCZ) says the escalating price of basic goods meant few would have a chance to splash out this Christmas.
”Christmas is usually the time when many people are expected to afford many things and celebrate with friends and relatives,” says CCZ chairperson Phillip Bvumbe.
”But with the rate at which prices have been going up of late, many families would rather keep their earnings from salaries and bonuses for their children’s school fees come January.
”I would say we do not have a Christmas for many families this year.”
The Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU), which has been leading the campaign against the rule of veteran President Robert Mugabe, says most workers will use the holiday to rest but there will not be any celebrations.
”There is no Christmas to talk about,” ZCTU secretary general Wellington Chibebe said.
”Those who had their Christmas celebrations had them in Goromonzi, where 80 cattle were slaughtered out of the 140 beasts they had. That’s what we call Christmas celebrations, when the whole nation is suffering,” he adds, in reference to the annual conference of Mugabe’s ruling party held last weekend.
The streets of Harare are almost devoid of festive decorations while few shops are bothering with Christmas displays in their windows.
According to Marah Hatavagone, president of the Zimbabwe National Chamber of Commerce, 2006 was a year most businesses would prefer to forget.
”Most small business organisations have actually folded this year,” she says.
”I doubt if most of these companies managed to pay bonuses and I doubt if many organisations will hold any Christmas celebrations for their members of staff this year because of the gravity of the situation.” — Sapa-AFP