ZIMBABWE - As the ruinous economic policies of Robert Matibili Mugabe backfire with the impact of a sledgehammer, Zimpapers has now dumped the local currency with a mule kick and is now demanding newspaper subscriptions in the US$ component.

 

Zimpapers publish the Herald, Chronicle, Sunday News, Sunday Mail, Manica Post and Kwayedza/Umthunywa.

 

According to a source at the Herald’s advertising department, Zimpapers boss Justin Mutasa convened a meeting and instructed various arms of the state-controlled newspaper stable “to deal strictly in the US$ component for all newspaper subscriptions to keep the company afloat”.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“From now on, after the expiry of all individuals newspaper and corporate bodies subscriptions, be advised accordingly that all renewals of the same must strictly be done in US$ component. Cheques and local currency will no longer be entertained,” Mutasa was reported as having instructed his staff.

 

Efforts to get the official position of this development with Mutasa’s office were fruitless as his secretary said he was in a meeting.

 

“Mondays are usually bad days as bosses usually attend meetings. As we speak, he is in a meeting. Why don’t you postpone your story and try and phone him tomorrow. Zvinhu zvakaoma mazuva ano mufunge mufunge mukuwasha (We are sailing in hard times),” she said.

 

A Harare based critic said it is largely surprising that the Zimbabwean political authorities that have the penchant of hatred for the Western world are now formally embracing the currency of their enemies without consultation.

 

It is an admission of failure and a declaration of war on another country by Zimbabwe’s leadership by 'dollarising' the economy with another country’s currency without consultation.

 

In the distant past, the trouble-riddled Herald reduced its circulation from a whooping 171 000 copies to a stupendous low of less than 10 000 copies, the development that was attributed to the general shortage of newsprint at Mutare’s Board and Paper Mills.

 

Zimpapers has since suspended the publication of Trends its mediocre Showbiz journal due to a crisis of newsprint.

 

 

 

Vendors in various streets of Harare have since confirmed that the Herald is now merely circulating in towns and cities at very low levels to merely register its presence in the information sector as economic hurdles also unsparingly bite ZANU PF’s mouthpiece stable.

 

 

 

JOKE OF THE DAY - I heard that they got all of the Saddam look-alikes together and told them that they have some good news and some bad news.

 

The good news was that Sadam survived the bombings, so they all still had jobs. One of the look-alikes asked,

 

"What's the bad news?" The bad news, they were told, was that he lost an arm and an eye.

 

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