You could learn something from Cuba,I might say. One difference that might be a touch obvious though is that Cuba's got Castro and poor old Zimbabwe's only got, whether they like it or not, Bob.

The answer to why Zimbabwe is not doing anything to mitigate the adverse effects of sanctions is quite evident to the people in the streets in Harare while The Herald is deliberately ignoring the reality.

The answer is that Mugabe thugs and cronies are benefitting from the sanctions and that they would like the sanctions to continue for ever. Sanctions is the excuse Mugabe is putting forward to maintain his military-type grip on the country's future. Sanctions enable his thugs to continue their illegal trade across the border trade and enable them with Gono's tacit support to enter into illicit bank operations to multiply further the illgotten funds which are then transferred to safe havens abroad. Mugabe himself shamelessly exploits the sanctions issue as the enemy-by-the-doorstep and hence whips up the nationalistic feelings of his supporters to terrorise people who have alternate views thereon.

Lunatic Mugabe is pushing Zimbabwe towards its complete destruction. Unless a popular uprising sends Mugabe, like Mobutu, far away from Zimbabwe, more of hard times are ahead for the suffering masses.

I do not see how Mugabe will be twisted to concede key ministries to the MDC. The rot will continue until an event bolts away the murderer!

Otherwise, Mugabe should learn from Cuba how castro has been able to contain inflation to only double digit figures against Zimbabwe's world record of over 40 million per cent as of 30 September 2008.