The $750,000,000 loaf of bread (Expert essay Final May)
The $100,000,000,000,000 loaf of bread
The history of Zimbabwe, and why its people are its greatest attribute.
"Hey kid, if you want the extra loaf, you still owe me $100,000,000,000,000, or out ya go!" (For those who cannot be asked to attempt this number, it is 100 Trillion - yes, TRILLION)
You would think this was a punchline from your favourite mobster blockbuster, but alas, it was a phrase yelled to me hundreds of times in Zimbabwe. Not because of my incompetence for carrying money with me, but because of bad governance and a hyperinflation. 
("Zimbabwe Crisis." Investopedia, August 2023)
I grew up in Zimbabwe, and let me tell you, it was a crazy experience. From having traffic lights that were only there for the 'vibe' and not the law, from having corn cobs roasting on the side of the road with an old gentleman filled with masses of knowledge, and from carrying sacks of cash to buy a bottle of coke in a grocery store, it was a place that provided me with morals and a very unique childhood.
However, putting that aside, its history is one filled with terror, oppression, and bloodshed. Once considered the 'Breadbasket of Africa', Zimbabwe sadly fell into a spiralling crisis in the late 1990's as the taste of power began to corrupt the mind of a president who was doing a decent job at the very start of his career.
In this essay, you will be provided with the saddening roadmap of Zimbabwe's first prime minister, how he became corrupt, and the decisions he made which caused an unbearable inflation, hurting the lives of Zimbabweans. However, along with this, you will get to see the light at the end of the tunnel, and come to the realisation that Zimbabwe has great potential, all because of how incredible the human beings are in the country.
So, let me take you back to the beginning...
Below is a list of chronological events that occurred in Zimbabwe from 1980 to 2008. For those who are still reading, an analogy has been provided between two sisters: Susan and Jill. Susan represents Mugabe and his dictatorship rule; Jill represents Zimbabwean people. Their mother is any international country (Englands colonial rule and a few countries after independence). You will see the relationship in just a few moments.
The independence of Zimbabwe (1980) - Susan breaks free from her mothers Tyranny
(Susan just left her house in the Pacific Palisades after being grounded for 2 weeks, to go and fetch her daily Iced Matcha. She was freed from the oppression from her mother of not being allowed a to walk down San Vicente road).
Zimbabwe was colonised by Britain, and exploited massively in the 1900s. Thankfully, this rule was overthrown in 1980, and the beautiful country was born, with Robert Mugabe being Prime Minister. Agriculture was booming, and there was peace.
The conflict between the Shona tribe and Ndebele tribe (1983) - Jill fights with Susan
(Susan returns home, and Jill, her sister, is furious at Susan that she got her way - being allowed to drink the one with almond milk [how could she!?]. They begin to argue and shout!).
Mugabe was from the Shona tribe. The Ndebele tribe were severely unhappy that a Shona man was in power. A swell of violence began to erupt.
The Massacre of the Ndebele (1983-1987) - Susan insults and affects Jill
(Susan fights with Jill, and ends up insulting her and making her feel insecure. Jill is now scared to voice her opinion and stand up for herself).
Mugabe trained his war troops in North Korea, and then ordered the killing of 30,000 Ndebele civilians.
The official dictatorship (1990) - Susan takes dictatorship rule over her sisters existence
(Now that Jill is scared, Susan is confident that she can be the centre of attention in the house now).
Mugabe dissolved the senate and made himself the man in charge. He increased taxes, strangling the growth of companies, and used this money to increase government payroll by 60%. He did not want anyone to have power or be of threat to his political regime. He was the centre of attention - like Susan.
An unhealthy addiction of international loans (1990) - Susan enjoys this power
(Susan realised that insulting her sister and preventing her from having a voice in the house, enabled her to be in power. She became addicted to doing this again and again, so next time she is able to pick whatever Matcha she wants, without hassle).
After business was hindered with extremely high tax, Mr Mugabe developed the action to borrow large sums of money from foreign countries and use this money to pay those in support of him, to ensure his power.
The kick start to inflation (1998) - Susan's mother becomes aware of her plans and says it is not sustainable
(However, not all is well. Susan's mother begins to notice the tricks she is playing, and decides to discipline her, by telling her "Darling Susan, you cannot do this to your sister, it is not right, and you will severely hurt her feelings at this age! It is not a sustainable relationship").
Zimbabwe's debt increased so drastically that Mugabe decided to print money, driving inflation to 20% in a year. Zimbabwe then defaulted on its debt (could not pay back foreign countries), devaluing the Zimbabwe by 75% in one day and ruining relations with other countries as they began to notice what Mugabe was doing - much like Susan's mom finding out her schemes. (Bridget M. Mupfuvi, Land to the People, 2014)
The uprising (1999) - Jill has had it; it is time for the civil war within the house: Effectively the revenge of the Sith from Star Wars
(Jill attempts to stand up to Susan, and develops a voice for herself).
All Zimbabweans were unhappy with Mugabe and started to stand up to him.
Farm invasions (2000) - Susan results in bullying Jill
("Returning back to the farm eight years after it was destroyed by pro-Mugabe forces", The Telegraph. Martin Fletcher)
As a result, Mugabe permitted the government to redistribute land from white owners to government officials, who were unexperienced in farming, with no compensation. 110 square kilometres were seized, 150,000 families and 300,000 black farm workers were harmed and severely injured. "In one year, Mugabe had destroyed Zimbabwe's most crucial source of income, and wiped out the food supply. People starved. Zimbabwe had nothing." (Chronology of Zimbabwe's Economic Crisis: Reuters.https://www.reuters.com/article/idUSL19925874/ (September 19th, 2007)
The final blow (2003-2006) - The huge moral effect this bullying has on Jill
(Jill ends up being bullied at school for the coming months, and Susan gets grounded by her parents once again).
https://www.reuters.com/article/idUSL19925874/
Mugabe turned to printing money to stay in power and attempt to stimulate growth. By 2006, every store in Zimbabwe was empty/bankrupt, as he mandated them to sell goods at a lower price than what it cost to make them. (So if I made a burger for $0.50, I would have to sell it for $0.10).
Here was the outcome of the dictatorship:
- 94% unemployment
- Life expectancy fell by 20 years.
- 30% decrease in population due to people fleeing.
- Currency depreciated to 0.
- 90% decrease in exports of agricultural goods
Now, here is the brain twist that will confuse you all.
You would think that the country was finished.
You would think that there was no hope for Zimbabwe.
You would think that Zimbabweans were aggressive, mean, and angry human beings, right?
You are wrong in every single possible aspect.
Zimbabweans have more gratitude, more humility, more grit, and more compassion than anyone else in the world. The country went through such pain, such horror, such oppression, that people began to focus on solutions and not problems.
The reason Zimbabwe was the best place to grow up in, was not due to living in a dictatorship. That part was petrifying. What made it incredible was Zimbabweans.
They inspire me daily, to be the best version of myself. To not be a victim. To always have great energy, and to do the very best with the cards that have been dealt. I thank the people of Zimbabwe, for it is them who have kept the country alive, and it is them who hold its future in great light.
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