Bye-bye Zimbabwe

Tim-Gabz

Tim-Gabz

Joined
Nov 24, 2003
Messages
5,337
As of this Tuesday, 1st Sept, I would have been out of Zimbabwe for exactly 8years. In 1999 I could see the writing on the wall and took up my shortened MBA in 2000 as an insurance. In 2001 we left most of our assets behind deeming it better to walk away that to try and hold onto what we believed we were going to loose anyhow. The pain living in a foreign land (good as it is) still is strong, I feel I am going through the wringer again.

Finally, finally my folks are leaving Zimbabwe for the last time. Given or sold what they can’t take they packed the rest. Last night they have just held their last farewells and the movers will load what is allowable tomorrow and they will depart Tuesday 1st Sept. They are sleeping on camp beds in their home.

Their farewell was a case of ongoing farewells seeing off friends for the last time and now it is they who are going. I have been pushing for them to go for years and they continued to soldier on with food shortages weeks without power or water, always making a plan. They had reached the point that they were broke, pensions dead, working today to buy food for tomorrow and had to finally surrender and live with what they set aside in another country and could salvage. My mum’s car was a ’83 Nissan Sunny (still running well) and they sold that and scrabbled together enough to go out using a Singapore import (second hand) to drive out in. My stepfather has been offered work and having worked for himself since 35 is going to work for some one else at 80.

They are fortunate they can leave. They are considered the wealthy because they are educated and although they have lost nearly everything they don’t have to keep paying off for the next few generations for the excesses of this generation and the Socialists that ruled, and when things got rough ruled harder.

I can finally put Zim fully behind me. It is not getting better and will take generations, those concerns are for other generations.
 
I am delighted to hear that they are finally leaving. It must be heartbreaking for them to see what the country has become and to know that they now have to begin again in SA. I wish them everything of the best and I hope that their future lives in Natal are less eventful.

I am out of the country for a few weeks but let me know if I can be of any help or assistance.

All the best........Steven
 
Much appreciated. It has been long and drawn out. The longer they left it the worse it became.

I hope to go down on the weekend of the 12th (blade show) and head down to Natal. I have yet to get their new home address. I am trying not to burden or embarrass them at this stage. I hope to be there to help but I get the feeling that they will want to settle in and face the fact there is no going back this time, their home has gone and this is now their new home to make.
 
Left that place back in 1980 and never looked back.Landed here with 4 cases and Z$1000.00 AU$750.00 back then.
Most of my wife's family moved south then came over here.
In march my wife wanted to go visit those that stayed behind in Zim and SA so I sent her over on her own, I like to remember the way it used to be.
Glad your folks are ok now.
Richard
 
Pack for Perth, doesn't sound so humorous these days. 1980 was the first independance exodus. Those who were 18-36 found their short term options restricted and long term options very vague yet were young enough to get up and start again.

My folks had it all and decided to stay on, my father wasn't well so they couldn't leave then. So much for the toughing it out it is over, and we are all out this week.

I have rebuilt here and am supporting hard working Zimbabweans here, but what a life for pensioners in their late 70s early 80s? One of our workers lost her husband last month in Bulowayo. His medicine money sent up by her had been impounded. His salary there was late by several weeks.

My God parents are in Germiston too old to join their children in Oz, they stayed on after independance to help the new govt. So much for the golden handshake.
 
Having had my blues, I am going out for takeaways. Spring is here and the birds are busy. There is a Sunbird investigating my Paw-paws, doves and waxbills eating my seed on the drive, mousebirds feasting on my berries,, just the sparrows getting intimate on my window cill is a little too much and time for me to get out in the light.
 
Glad to hear your parents are safe Tim. I can only imagine the great amount of grit, determination, character and heart it must take to live like that.
 
Tim-Gabz said:
Having had my blues, I am going out for takeaways. Spring is here and the birds are busy. There is a Sunbird investigating my Paw-paws, doves and waxbills eating my seed on the drive, mousebirds feasting on my berries,, just the sparrows getting intimate on my window cill is a little too much and time for me to get out in the light.
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Hang in there, please.:thumbup:

Most of us can only imagine, dimly, what you and your family have been through. We can only hope life gets better for you now.
 
I managed to get through to my Mum this afternoon, the first time in a week as the phones there are upto maggots. I hope to meet them next week in J'burg on the way down.

I had dinner at a local sports conference in June and there are many refugees who rebuilt their lives in Botswana. Many from Serbia and Slovenia, too many from Zimbabwe. A dude from Afghanistan, a Christian from Iran(?), a Jewish Hungarian from WW2. All great people. A pity that politicians and mad men have to break things in the first place.
 
Tim-Gabz said:
... a Christian from Iran(?), ...
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There are extremely ancient Christian communities in Muslim territories, many of the people still speaking Aramaic as in Jesus' time. These communities are currently being terrorized into dissolution, chased out or killed off.
 
Hi Tim, Compared to most nations the people here in the USA are rootless. The roots in our location are very shallow and roots in our families only go back a few generations. I hope you can gather your family together and find a way to make new connections. Some of us have to hang our roots in the air, like orchids. Some of it's a mindset. Right now I'm trying to help my kids to put down roots. The idea only comes to them when they decide to have kids of their own. In the air or in the earth I hope your family finds a good way to grow closer. Best wishes--Jeff C. in Colorado
 
I like the analogy of Orchids. I have noted that deeper the roots the harder it is to uproot. When the wheels fall off the less you have the easier it is to leave. For me I had a home an old car and young kids, and with children there is no negotiation. I was in a professional job, as was my wife, inflation went stupid to the extent my salary could buy a pack of nappies! We were living on my office daily allowance for travel at U$D75/day meaning lots of travel. 8 years today it was driving through the border. My wife was offered a job in Botswana by her office to start the next week, and it was an immediate decision, pick up loaded with what we could carry drop keys with Mum. My office had downsized to 6 from 42 in three months due to govt/political turmoil and direct persecution.

My friends tried to tough it out for another 4 years and left with the clothes on their backs.

The irony is that my Mum and step father have historical roots to the South African 1820s settlers and that got them their entrance/citizenship in South Africa. My father was a Singapore refugee (we don't seem to learn).

Two years back my children finally were allowed South African citizenship (from my Wife). Before that we were travelling as a family of 3 nationalities, Wife South African, kids Zimbabwean and myself Brit, in a Botswana registered car. Going through borders was, interesting.

The only thing that can't be taken is one's qualifications and experience. The rest is up for grab by crooks, bankers and politicians (often the same person).
 
LOL, you know life is crap in your old country when South Africa is the better choice :D At least they have the good weather.
 
Nordic Viking said:
LOL, you know life is crap in your old country when South Africa is the better choice :D At least they have the good weather.
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Yes that scares me, they are joining the other 3-4million Zimbabwean Economic refugees there. Those numbers mean that 5000-10000 extra hospital beds are required on an already over stretched health system that is all now being nationalised.
 
Esav Benyamin said:
There are extremely ancient Christian communities in Muslim territories, many of the people still speaking Aramaic as in Jesus' time. These communities are currently being terrorized into dissolution, chased out or killed off.
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And yet, those who criticize islam and uncotrolled immigration in europe are being chased and sued. These are the days that will be remembered as the days when democracy and freedom of speech died in europe.
The little distant thought of my country, slowly rotting by these leeches pains me so much. It even pains me more, that the left/green parties try to do their best to drive our country straight to hell.
 
I think my observations in 2003 to Zim friends "In Botswana I can drive into a petrol station and not only hope to get petrol but bread and milk as well" showed the reality of the situation. Zim you can get most everything now if you have the hard currency. This means the internationally connected do well (if you consider 2x the cost of South Africa well). Still problems with water and power off for weeks.
 
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