”It turns out that I’m not the first man delivered to the police chief on the back of this pickup. The last one was a labourer, caught overcharging for the farmer’s tomatoes at the local market.” On the border between Zimbabwe and Mozambique, Mark Ashurst observes an unwritten constitution at work.
This week is the 27th anniversary of Zimbabwe’s independence — an occasion, as often before, for President Robert Mugabe to remind his beleaguered countrymen of their many achievements. Zimbabwe today is bereft of optimism and self-confidence. As recently as a decade ago, Zimbabwe’s record was routinely cited as an inspiration to its neighbours.