Zimbabwe - Fasting

[Vincent]

This is an article from an interview with a government senior official in Zimbabwe's Finance Ministry, Doc Mtusi, by the Cape Times.

The unpatriotic hoarding of food gives the impression that we have a problem when clearly we haven't. We do not call it starving, we call it fasting. Fasting is good for you. Lots of famous people have fasted for the benefit of their people. Gandi, for instance. In our case, the people will be encouraged to fast thereby strengthening themselves against the onslaught of colonial imperialism. We have no objection in principle to people eating. Those of us in Government all eat, but only because persons in our important positions have to. What we must guard against is the belief that people have the right to break the law because they're hungry.

Did a search, but couldn't find anything concrete

[duncan drennan]

You can try referencing this, from the Cape Times, http://vuvuzela.blog.co.uk/2007/08/0...f_view~2739693

[Dave A]

I'm still trying to figure out if someone is pulling my leg here.

EDIT: In following the trail of Duncan's link, I ended up with this little beauty to ponder.

The City Council of Bulawayo, Zimbabwe's second
largest city, has issued a warning to residents of a possible outbreak of
disease following a massive cut in the city's water supply. This is the
first time in Bulawayo's history such a health warning has been issued.

The water shortage has been ascribed to drought, a burgeoning population and
the lack of co-operation between the City Council and the Zimbabwe National
Water Authority (ZINWA) -- a parastatal.

Bulawayo is the capital city of Matabeleland, a southern region that has for
decades been prone to droughts. When the last of its five dams was completed
in 1979, the city had a population of around 250,000 and the City Council
could manage the needs of residents and factories.

However, those same five dams are unable to cope with the requirements of
the 1.5 million people who now live in Bulawayo. And, while authorities have
in recent months introduced strict water-rationing measures, these have
failed to stop the water crisis from becoming the worst in the city's
history.

Earlier this month, the council was forced to decommission the Lower Ncema
dam because it ran dry. Two other dams, the Upper Ncema and the Umzingwane,
had already been decommissioned for the same reason.

Officials have warned that Inyankuni will be also decommissioned soon, as it
is only about a tenth full. This would leave the Insiza dam as the last
water reservoir for the city.
from The Zimbabwe Situation

Now I'm thinking electricity, and how many dams we might have built round these parts recently.