Zimbabwe News letter to friends from Cathy Buckle
- This week

So what's changed?

Saturday 6th February 2010

Dear Family and Friends,
Laughter, back slapping and prolonged hand shakes were the order of the day when I met a friend this week. His 13 year old daughter had passed her junior school exams and got enough points to be accepted into senior school. Dad's face was creased with smiles as he told me what subjects had been passed and how delighted he was that his little girl was on the way now, nearly a young woman. This momentous occasion, a time of considerable pride and achievement is particularly commendable after 10 years of economic collapse which left most schools virtually closed and without teachers, books or equipment. My congratulations to a proud Dad were short lived as now he, and hundreds of thousands of others like him, face the nightmare of getting their children through senior school and up to their O Levels.

Barely a fortnight into the new term at senior school, my friend's daughter was sent home. The shame and embarrassment were evident by the dusty tear stains on her face. Her father had only managed to pay half of the school fees and so the girl was told to go away until she could pay the full amount due - US$60. She knew her Dad didn't have any more money for school fees, he'd already spent another US$ 40 buying the required 18 exercise books, a new school dress, socks and satchel; luckily her old shoes were the right colour and still fitted. And so, for want of US$ 30, a 13 year old girl was turned away from school this week.

Even if my friend manages to get his daughter back into school, her education is far from secure as Zimbabwe's long suffering teachers have finally said enough is enough and are threatening to strike. Earning just US$ 160 a month, our teachers can't even afford to educate their own children, let alone teach others. Their monthly salary doesn't even cover the utilities bills charged by the same government they work for. With domestic household electricity averaging US 80 a month and water and municipal bills being another US 80 a month, there is nothing left from a teacher's pay to buy food, pay for transport, medical needs or even buy a teenage girl a pair of socks for school. The teachers say they want salaries increased to at least US $ 630 a month - which is what they could earn if they were teaching in countries in the region. Our government say they don't have the money and so a crisis is imminent.

Teachers, like everyone else, are saying the government should be using the Chiadzwa diamond money to fund the country's expenses and rebuild Zimbabwe. Diamonds which are estimated to be worth £125 million (US 205 million) every month. Human Rights groups say that when hundreds of soldiers were sent in to the Chiadzwa diamond fields to evict small scale miners in November 2008, between 200 and 400 people were shot by the soldiers.

Think of this: More people were killed by the army than are affected by sanctions. You have to say it again to understand the enormity of it: 200 - 400 diamond diggers were killed by soldiers in Chiadzwa in November; compared to only 203 powerful and already privileged Zanu PF individuals on a targeted sanctions list. 203 people holding a country of 10 million to ransom. So what's changed?
Until next week, thanks for reading, love cathy