Every opportunity that Mugabe gets, he blames the woes of Zimbabwe on what he describes as ‘illegal economic sanctions’ imposed on Zimbabwe by the West.

Don’t tell anybody, but the sanctions in place are targeted against Mugabe and members of his regime and administration, together with their wives and children.

Meanwhile, the Governor of the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe, Gideon Gono, has blamed the economic crisis and high inflation on the people of Zimbabwe.

“Reserve Bank Governor Gideon Gono is quoted in The Sunday Mail, a state-owned newspaper, as saying inflation is due to what he calls a “collective failure as a nation” to produce enough, particularly food. He calls on Zimbabweans “to actively play a part in producing for the nation.”

Zimbabwe’s inflation rate is officially 231 million percent, the highest in the world.

Government orders to seize white-owned farms starting in 2000 disrupted the economy of what had been the region’s breadbasket. The farms were to have gone to poor blacks, but many went to ruling party loyalists. Agricultural production has plummeted. Today, Zimbabwe faces a hunger crisis.”

Please note that since the article above was published, just a few days ago, inflation has risen to 516 quintillion percent. Which would read as 516000000000000000000%...

I suppose it is quite good news, therefore, that Gono only has a short while left on his tenure as Governor, because do the people of Zimbabwe really want someone so far disconnected from reality being in charge of the central bank?

Not only does he blame the inflation figure on the people, but he studiously sticks to a governed maximum daily cash withdrawal which does not allow the people to purchase anything of any value – even if there were goods to purchase in the shops!

Inflation is not caused by the Zimbabwean people – it is and has been caused by the mismanagement of the financial policies by the illustrious RBZ governor, the finance minister and Mugabe. But they are not used to taking the blame for anything so refuse to admit that their administration is flawed.

Sad to say that their flawed policies have floored the Zimbabwean people.

But Mugabe will not have anything to do with blame. And while he and his hierarchy live in the lap of luxury and eat sumptuously, just a few hundred metres from their doors there are hundreds, if not thousands, of Zimbabweans that are starving, live without shelter and without much hope for the future.

Will this sort of blame laying solve anything in Zimbabwe? Not likely.

Instead of being part of the problem, the RBZ and the Mugabe regime need to become part of the solution. But since they are so rabid in their dislike for anything and everything that proves them incorrect in their claims, they will not accept any assistance unless it is on their terms.

The story of the missing US$7,3 million in aid monies is proof that they have no idea, have no intention of helping any Zimbabwean and believe themselves above the laws of the land.

Such is the lay of the land in Zimbabwe. A sad litany of lies, errors, disregard and misplaced loyalty.

Robb WJ Ellis
The Bearded Man