Zimbabwe community in dire straits

TALI FEINBERG

“Electricity is cut for a minimum of 18 hours a day. Food is available, but it’s at least four times the price it was two months ago. Water is frequently cut, or not available at all. Medicine is either not available, or up to twenty times the price a year ago,” says Harare Hebrew Congregation President Arnold Joffe.

While he is usually optimistic and upbeat, Joffe admits that the country and the community are in dire straits. “The community is suffering like everybody else. It borders on impossible. It’s a very disturbing, distressing situation.”

One aged home with three elderly Jewish residents, Fairways Home for the Aged, might close soon for a lack of funds. “Generators are seldom used by the aged home because fuel is hardly available and very expensive,” Joffe says.

Asked if these conditions are a health threat, he answers “Absolutely. There are minimal utilities, and very expensive medicine.” Asked if anyone is going hungry, he says “I’m so far not aware of anyone in the community going hungry, but a couple are on the verge of doing so. People attempt to carry on as close to normal as possible, but of course they are badly affected.”

Rabbi Moshe Silberhaft visited Harare last week in his capacity as spiritual leader and chief executive of the African Jewish Congress. “It is much worse than it was in the past. But, Zimbabweans absorb crises and survive. The community rallies to assist each other when necessary. [Its members] are there to stay. Most won’t leave.”

However, most Israelis have left. “In most African countries, Israeli companies see opportunities, and go into businesses with the government. They have now all pulled out as the government has stopped paying for services. This shows the level of despair – when the Israelis leave, you know it’s not good.”

Silberhaft says that when he was there, inflation was 173%. “One can only get medicine that is on a script from the black market. There is no bread because of a maize shortage. In fact, the famous Lobel’s Bakery closed last week. Traffic lights aren’t working, and the potholes are horrendous. For community members who can afford domestic helpers, they come in at 22:00 at night to do laundry, ironing, and cooking when there is electricity.”

When things are prosperous, one sees pregnant women in the streets, he says, but there are almost none to be seen, as people are so malnourished. And, for the first time, he is seeing white beggars on street corners, and there has been an increase in crime by white people. There is also a huge discrepancy between the haves and have-nots, with Rolls-Royces and Bentleys on the roads.

Shelley Lasker, who spends a few months of the year in Zimbabwe, says, “Bulawayo is just one long, snaking fuel queue. In 2007 and 2008, we thought things couldn’t get worse, but they are now much worse. Then, you could still rely on people outside of the country.” Now, with a ban on foreign currency [as legal tender] and massive inflation, funds from other countries are worthless.

“We’re dealing with a severe drought on top of antiquated infrastructure. Millions of people have no access to clean water, and a cholera epidemic is imminent. There’s a huge shortage of drugs,” she says. “The [Jewish] community is fairly ‘well cushioned’, and everyone can make a plan, for example, neighbours share water from boreholes. There is still a sense of help and support.”

A community member who spoke on condition of anonymity said that the worst aspect of the crisis was that it was forcing people to do things they would never have done in normal circumstances.

“It’s forcing people to become criminals. How will we fix that? It will take a generation to undo it. People will lie, bribe, or cheat to get something they need. Even the nicest person will stab you in the back if it allows them to get something. It’s inhumane. Besides Venezuela, we are probably the poorest economy in the world.”

“We have electricity about 30% of the time,” the community member said. “It comes on at 22:30 at night, so we stay awake and work up till 02:00 to get things done. We can cope – we have a gas stove, even though fuel is like gold. Even if there is water, there is no hot water because the geysers don’t have time to heat up. Shop prices change every day.”

“The mood [in the country] is quite despondent, almost desperate, as people wonder how much worse the economic crisis can get as they struggle to support themselves and their families,” says human rights advocate Alana Baranov, who comes from Zimbabwe.

“Zimbabwe’s latest economic predicament is a result of deepening political crisis in the country – which has worsened under President Emmerson Mnangagwa – and the misguided economic policies his government has put in place, the most recent of which is the move to return to the Zimbabwean dollar,” she explains.

Says Silberhaft, “People are saying that when Mugabe was ousted, hope died, meaning that when Mugabe was in power, they had hope that things would improve once he was removed. But now they see that things are just getting worse.”

However, in spite it of all, he says the community remains optimistic. “They are still smiling, and are proud of their community. Miraculously, they survive. We pray for better days.”