Woes mount in Zimbabwe
2008-01-27 17:26
Harare - Fires caused by candles during Zimbabwe's frequent power outages have destroyed homes because firefighters also have been unable to find water, the state Sunday Mail reported.
In one incident, in suburban northern Harare, a candle set curtains alight and an occupant tore them down and threw them outside - onto drums being used to store fuel.
The house was gutted, with only a bed recovered from the ruins, the paper said.
In another incident at a house being occupied by four families, petrol caught fire after a candle was lit during an electricity cut, it said.
All the occupants escaped without injury.
House owner Sothini Chiravasa told the newspaper by the time fire tenders began drawing water from a neighbour's swimming pool, the blaze was out of control.
"How could they come to put out a fire without water?" she was quoted as saying.
Zimbabwe is suffering daily power and water outages along with chronic shortages of fuel that have forced many householders to store supplies in containers despite constant warnings by the fire department of the dangers.
'Walking clubs'
Amid the shortages, petrol prices have soared, crippling public transport services and putting regular fares out of the reach of workers - many of whom have resorted to walking to their jobs.
According to the main labour federation, workers have formed "walking clubs" into cities that set out as early as 04:00 and cover more than 20km a day.
The Sunday Mail quoted office employee Grace Choruma saying she sold peanut butter and other items to her workmates to help pay her commuter fares to work.
The paper said bus operators were increasing fares after failing to obtain subsidised fuel from the state fuel agency and being forced to buy it on the black market at up to ZIM$10m a litre.
The official media reported last week some bus services were brought to a halt by fuel shortages that forced drivers to pass a hat around asking for donations from passengers so as to buy black market fuel.
IMF - inflation at 150 000%
In economic meltdown, Zimbabwe has the world's highest official inflation at an estimated 24 000%. But the International Monetary Fund and independent financial institutions say real inflation is closer to 150 000%.
The Sunday Mail, meanwhile, apologized to readers for reducing its number of pages and copies available on Sunday, because of acute shortages of newsprint.
- AP