Zimbabwe

[goutham]

zimbabwe is located in the southern part of the continent of Africa, between the Zambezi and Limpopo Rivers. It is bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the southwest, Zambia to the northwest, and Mozambique to the east. The official language of Zimbabwe is English. However, the majority of the population speaks Shona, which is the native language of the Shona people, a Bantu language; the country's other native language is Sindebele, which is spoken by the Matabele people.zimbabwe capital is harare.its total area is 390,757 km2(150,871 sq mi) it is the largest city

[Prawn_86]

Would anyone visit Zimbabwe in the current climate? How would you go about changing currency? ;)

Anyone been there before it was destroyed economically?

[Prawn_86]

HARARE: Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe has hinted at early elections, saying his party should be preparing to avoid a repeat of his loss in March.

He told about 5000 loyalists of his ZANU-PF party at the close of a two-day party conference in Harare that new elections would be held if the country's power-sharing agreement collapsed.

The unity government agreement Mugabe signed in September with opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai has stalled in a dispute over which party should control key cabinet posts.

And recent violence has left many wondering whether the plan is workable.


http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,,24831077-2703,00.html

Sad situation. He certainly has lost it (his mind that is)...

[Prawn_86]

ZIMBABWE will prosecute 140 white landowners on charges of failing to vacate their farms under the country's controversial 2000 land reform program, state media has reported.


http://www.news.com.au/story/0,27574,24850910-38195,00.html

Not really the kind of place you would want to go without bodyguards and the like.

I had a friend that went a few years ago, as a single white girl, and she said it was fine at the time though

[Prawn_86]

ZIMBABWE has scrapped restictions on foreign currency to prop up its ailing economy, as the United Nations warns more than half the population needs emergency food aid.

http://www.news.com.au/story/0,27574,24983661-401,00.html

[Prawn_86]

ZIMBABWE'S opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai was sworn in as prime minister today, joining President Robert Mugabe in a unity government after a decade of struggling to push him from power

http://www.news.com.au/story/0,27574,25042380-401,00.html

We are seeing a country destroyed by its leaders, but beacuse of limited natural resources, the 'world police' dont care...

[Prawn_86]

Robert Mugabe marked his 85th birthday yesterday with a sumptuous banquet in Harare at the start of a week of parties which observers say is a further sign of the Zimbabwean president's defiance in the face of growing criticism of his regime.

His latest show of excess came as prime minister Morgan Tsvangirai said "maybe US$5bn (£ 3.5bn)" would be needed to rehabilitate the collapsed health, social and education systems.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009...rthday-banquet (http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/feb/22/robert-mugabe-birthday-banquet)

[Bafana]

Was in Zim a few years back and it was already falling apart. Would love to go back but a bit worried on how its all gonna pan out. Land border control at Plum Tree was a bit of a nightmare when I was there with an hour long lecture on why I must pay for a VISA as Mugabe had to pay for one to visit the Sydney Olympics.

[Prawn_86]

Was in Zim a few years back and it was already falling apart.

Hi Bafana,

Welcome to ATF :)

If you get a chance i would love to hear more about what it was like over there. What year were you there?

[Bafana]

Would have been 2002. Went there to play a soccer match between our Botswana Office and our Harare Office. It was already very run down and we were able to get a small fortune in zim dollars from touts hopping on the bus at the border. The ATM's were still only working at offiicial rates and were effectively a rip off by Mogabe to scrap tourists/business mens forex. Nightlife was great and cheap. Don't remeber much else as my first bout of tickbite fever kicked in the second day there (caught it on the way to Tshane in the middle of the Khalahari Desert a few weeks(?) ealrier and the gestation period was up. Tick Bite fever really really sucks (semi-pun intended)