Harare fear as police flex muscles

Esther (not her real name), 28, a professional living and working in Zimbabwe's capital, Harare, is writing a regular diary on the challenges of leading a normal life.

Zimbabwe is suffering from an acute economic crisis. The country has the world's highest rate of annual inflation and just one in five has an official job.

I narrowly missed being beaten by riot police in town this Friday lunchtime.

Luckily, I was delayed at the bank, and so missed the violence by 10 minutes. Just 10 minutes.

People told me that the confrontation happened at an area not far from the town centre where people hitch lifts to the suburbs.

The price of basic foodstuffs has risen dramatically during the past week

At lunchtimes, a service is held in a nearby church - and the police apparently started beating up people as the congregation spilled out, mixing with the crowds waiting for lifts.

The police said they were violating the Public Order and Security Act, which prohibits gatherings without prior police clearance.

People are saying water cannon were used to disperse the crowd.

I myself saw a water tanker heading in that direction.

I was meant to be going to a movie on Friday evening with my boyfriend, but we both headed home after work just in case.

In fact, we've been afraid of being out of doors after 6pm. There's a sort of a curfew that people have imposed on themselves out of fear of the heavy police presence around town.

'Rumour and grapevine'

In my last diary entry, I said that people had lost their fear. But the atmosphere has changed in the last day.

On my way to work on Thursday, I heard that people are being beaten up in the rural areas by militia made up of war veterans, Zanu-PF youth and graduates from youth training camps

In a shop I was in people were complaining about this week's huge price rises - but when a uniformed officer came in, they immediately clammed up, fearing his reaction.

The price jumps are really dramatic - a cereal I usually buy was Z$150m ($2.68; �1.36) on Tuesday and Z$545m ($9.76; �4.95) by Friday - that's about a quarter of a civil servant's salary.

On my way to work on Thursday I heard that people are being beaten up in the rural areas by militia made up of war veterans, Zanu-PF youth and graduates from youth training camps. The reason: voting for the opposition.

I heard these stories again from different people on Friday.

We operate on rumour and grapevine here, nothing of any substance is broadcast on national TV and radio, so these stories may be true or not.

Knowing the calibre of training camp graduates, I would not be surprised if they were true.

Esther answers questions sent in by readers

Q: What is the current situation for all those people who openly show their support for the opposition? I hear security officers are all over the streets?
Alfred Chirwa, Lusaka, Zambia

A: For a while, that is to say before and just after the elections, it was quite common to see people wearing Morgan Tsvangirai campaign T-shirts, and talking about the "New Zimbabwe". But it has become less and less common now.

Q: How many white people are there to be seen in daily life in the main cities such as Harare and Bulawayo? To what extent is the Shona/Matabele divide significant in modern day Zimbabwe and particularly the election voting distributions?
Marshall, Sydney, Australia

A: I am kind of colour blind, I do not notice or rather I do not register stuff like that. I'd say the divide is urban/rural rather than Shona/Ndebele.

Q: In spite of the every day crises in your country, can you imagine that one day things will change for the good? For example the fall of Mugabe from grace to grass and an upturn in the economy?
Sunday, Lagos, Nigeria

A: I think the fall of Mugabe is the only way for our country to recover.

Q: I visited your beautiful country in 2005, even then inflation was at a record high and food was scarce for everyday people. How can people get around? Is petrol still hard to find? Has it got worse?
Ben, Maidstone, UK

A: I have always said that people get by only by the grace of God, because I honestly do not know how else. As regards the fuel situation, we are awash with petrol, but it is really only available on the black market or through fuel coupons.

Q: Do you think Thabo Mbeki has failed Zimbabweans and that he might have a secret agenda? He is telling the world that there is "no crisis" in Zimbabwe. Do you think he loves Mugabe that much? Or is he more keen on the manpower flooding into his country on low wages?
Martha, New York, U.S.A

A: Maybe this is part of his quiet diplomacy. We all thought he was doing nothing in the pre-election talks but we then saw the results - that is to say election results put up outside polling stations, opposition posters in state print media, opposition jingles on radio and tv. We had never seen this before in Zimbabwe.

Q: I am amazed about the inflation rate in your country. If such an inflation rate occurred in the UK, most people would be financially crippled before their next annual pay rise. Are people in work trying to negotiate pay rises?
Lloyd, Nottingham, UK

A: Much as you can get a pay rise, what percentage would match an inflation rate of 100,500%? It is a losing battle.

Q: If the food prices are rising so dramatically, do Mugabe's administrators increases the salaries of government employees? And if not how do they manage to live in with that kind of situation?
Ahmed, Dubai, UAE

A: Civil servant salaries are reviewed maybe once a quarter. Hardly any of them spend a full day at work though. They are out there, making money by other means and no one blames them.

Q: When a government becomes intolerable the people themselves, usually including members of the security forces, rise up and take power. Zimbabwe has been suffering for so long. What will it take for the people themselves to be willing to rise up and stand against oppression?
Anon ex-Zimbabwean, USA

A: That is the big question. The problem is the subtle, and at times brutal pressure upon us. The people are just too afraid of what will happen to them if they take to the streets without the support of the police and army.

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