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/ 25 April 2008

Winners and losers in land of starving billionaires

Each day, Edwin Makotore’s wife and children hit the streets to earn cash so he can pay for the privilege of working. The 38-year-old father-of-two is the only one in the family with a full-time job, but by the time he has met the soaring cost of travelling to work in a small Harare supermarket, paid out of wages wildly out of step with the 165 000% inflation rate, Makotore is out of pocket.

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/ 19 November 2007

Embattled Zimbabwe delays inflation data

Zimbabwe on Monday delayed the release of inflation data and said it might not be available ”for a while”, fuelling concerns the government had failed in its bid to hold back runaway prices. President Robert Mugabe has made the battle against inflation the cornerstone of his government’s effort to reverse a deep economic slide.

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/ 28 October 2007

Energy crisis compounds problems in Zimbabwe

An escalating energy crisis has pulled the plug on hopes of reviving Zimbabwe’s economy as production grinds to a halt in a manufacturing sector already battling sky-high inflation. Although central bank chief Gideon Gono said that shelves would soon be full again after a pricing crackdown, analysts say the power deficit will accelerate the meltdown as inflation nears 8 000%.

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/ 30 August 2007

Crumbling economy threatens Mugabe’s grip

Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe survived years in colonial prisons and still more years of international isolation. He has weathered the challenge of a now weak and divided opposition, seen pressure from Western powers fade, and maintained support from neighbouring countries that still regard him as an African liberation hero.