Zimbabwe finance minister admits: “We’ve got only £138.34 ($217) in the bank”

Daily Mail (UK) ^ | 11:12 EST, 30 January 2013 | Dan Newling

[Olog-hai]

Zimbabwe’s finance minister has taken a hard look at the cash-strapped country’s bank accounts—and discovered it only has £138.34 left. Tendai Biti made the announcement at a press conference yesterday, declaring: “Last week when we paid civil servants, there was $217 in government coffers.”

Mr. Biti went on to tell the shocked news reporters that they were individually likely to have healthier bank balances than the state’s. “The government finances are in paralysis state at the present moment”, Mr. Biti admitted. …

The stunning confession about the country’s poor financial state is the culmination of years of ruinous economic policy by Zimbabwe’s despotic President Robert Mugabe, who has ruled the southern African country since independence from Britain in 1980. A decade ago, Mugabe, now aged 88, launched his deeply controversial policy of expropriating white-owned farmland and handing it to blacks. … As a result, Zimbabwe—which was once the fertile “bread basket” of southern Africa and possesses fantastic mineral wealth—is now one of the continent’s poorest countries. …

[cripplecreek]

If they’ve got it in the bank, they’re doing better than us.

[izzatzo]

Beats me, I’ve only got six bits.

[Obama_Is_Sabotaging_America]

What is it about Zimbabweans and Kenyans constantly asking for change?

[SpaceBar]

At least they’re in the black.

[SandRat]

Is somebody finally realizing that they were better governed when they were Rhodesia than they are now as Zimbabwe.

[KarlInOhio]

$16,000,000,000,217 better than us.

[VanDeKoik]

If they would just get rid of those terrible white people, they would have much more!!!!!

/s

[GOPJ]

...Mugabe, now aged 88, launched his deeply controversial policy of expropriating white-owned farmland and handing it to blacks. … As a result, Zimbabwe—which was once the fertile “bread basket” of southern Africa and possesses fantastic mineral wealth—is now one of the continent’s poorest countries.

All cultures are equal, right?

[Defiant]

They should just do like Obama and print more.

[morphing libertarian]

Moogawbee should transfer in a bill or so Stromboli switz

[faithhopecharity]

he can just print up some more!

Zimbabwe is as famous for printing up dollars as is Obama...

http://www.ebay.com/itm/2009-Zimbabwe-Ten-TRILLION-Dollar-Note-/370562401455?pt=Paper_Money&hash=item56473d84af

See? PROBLEM SOLVED!

[Jeff Winston]

Just print up some multi-trillion dollar bills.

Oh, wait. They already tried that.

Guess I’m out of immediate ideas.

In retrospect, I guess destroying the national economy by taking all the farms away from the people who know how to run them and putting them in the hands of deadbeat friends doesn’t seem to have been that great of an idea.

[Flick Lives]

As a result, Zimbabwe—which was once the fertile “bread basket” of southern Africa and possesses fantastic mineral wealth—is now one of the continent’s poorest countries. …

From breadbasket to basket case in one generation. The power of marxism.

[Olog-hai]

Been there, done that.

[Secret Agent Man]

and apparently all political systems are too. /s

[GOPJ]

They should just do like Obama and print more.

The world knows Zimbabwe's money is worthless... soon they'll know that ours is too...

[Seaplaner]

Like this is difficult. Clearly, it's time for Zimbabwe to borrow money and build a high speed rail.

.

[Rocky]

No worries. Just go back to Zimbabwe dollars. It would be about 60 quadrillion dollars in Feb, 2009, Zimbabwe dollars.

[count-your-change]

At least a hundred dollars more than I have.