Chamunorwa Shamhu* works for one of the few non-governmental organisations (NGOs) still allowed to operate in Zimbabwe, but by mid-afternoon this week had still not managed to write the five paragraphs needed for a funding proposal.His boss said he had noticed other staff had "switched off" when they came to work on 30 June, the day after the announcement that President Robert Mugabe had won the uncontested second-round presidential run-off election.
"This is no joke - people have been operating like zombies," he told IRIN. "People are listless, dejected, have no interest in their work and there are now very few smiles and laughter at the work place."
"Dejected" perhaps fails to convey the strength of Shamhu's feelings. When Mugabe lost the first round of the presidential race to opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai on 29 March, he said he had dared to hope that change could finally come to Zimbabwe after eight straight years of recession and increasing political repression.
The opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) had won a majority in parliament, and Tsvangirai almost scored an overwhelming majority in the presidential vote, which would have given him a first-round victory against Mugabe, 84, who has ruled since independence in 1980.
"At the time I was ready to skip the country and go to South Africa, Botswana, Mozambique or Zambia, but when the government lost the election my hopes were revived that a better Zimbabwe, with jobs and a normal life, was about to return."
Instead, Tsvangirai pulled out of the 27 June run-off, citing the political violence that had driven thousands from their homes, had injured hundreds, and claimed the lives of over 80 MDC officials and supporters since March.
Rather than the financial aid and goodwill that was likely to have greeted a new government, Mugabe's swearing-in as president and apparent determination to ignore international condemnation of the ballot has left Zimbabweans to struggle along with daily shortages of the most basic household needs, and an inflation rate that could be as high as 10 million percent.
"To put it simply, I earn Z$300 billion a month. The bank only allows a maximum withdrawal of Z$25 billion a day. Bus fare for one person to town is Z$10 billion, which means I spend $20 billion per day on transport," Shamhu said. Today's exchange rate is roughly Z$30 billion to US$1.
"A decent meal in lunch-break costs Z$25 billion, and it also means I have to spend four hours in a queue every day. At home my wife and I do not have maize-meal [the staple food], sugar, milk, soap, electricity and water. I have had to park my car because fuel is not available. With the prospects of another five years under Mugabe, how can you expect anybody to look forward to the following day?"
Psychologist Paddington Japajapa said people appeared to have symptoms akin to post-traumatic stress disorder - a condition associated with horrific experiences. "The condition manifests itself through profound sadness, fear, depression, apprehension, failure to concentrate, failure to participate in usual activities."
Sharon Dube*, who has two children and is a junior executive at an advertising agency, said she does not know how she has managed to keep going; things have been so bleak in recent years. "My children are growing up and they need to eat, but my earnings are not able to sustain them. I have all along led a pretty decent life but as things stand, if the hardships continue, the only option left to me would be prostitution."
The gloom that descended has not been conducive to the work of an advertising agency, she told IRIN. "Coming up with advertising ideas or concepts requires a lot of creativity and concentration, and the entire department has not done well so far this week because of anxieties connected to our future and the possibilities of more hardships."
* Not their real names
Disclaimer:This material comes to you via IRIN, the humanitarian news and analysis service of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. The opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of the United Nations or its Member States.
Photo: Copyright IRIN
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