Unlike my dear departed Mum, I am doomed to languish in eternal hell ... for yesterday I
actually bribed a government official !! And the worse thing is, it is not the first time I have
done so !!
Now MY MUM was a legend in her time, she was so honest, upright and true, she would
not even use a company envelope for her own use!!
And so she tried to pass on this little virtue, unsuccessfully it would seem, to brother
Gavin and myself !!
My most recent transgression occurred at the Beitbridge Border Post, but with my first
encounter with bribery, I plead total innocence I promise.
A couple of years ago, obtaining a National Parks registration number for a boat was not
normally a problem, and having done it once previously I was au fait with the "system". A
quick visit to National Parks, an entry in a hard cover black ledger book, a small payment
made, and off one should go, both happily and hopefully... .
I could see the book on the shelf behind the parks officer, it smiled at me enticingly, but
the officer was not going to get off her chair and so told me it would "take about a week"
to process.....
However I did not have a week as we were leaving for the lake that very day and I had even
bought the paint and made a stencil to paint the number on the boat !!(As per National
Park rules !!)
A tad miffed to say the least at her unbending uncivil service-like manner, I dumped my
parcels on her counter and rummaged in my bag for the payment.
The parcels I dumped on her counter included a box of Charons chocolates for a friend I
was about to visit in hospital.
When I emerged from my "ridiculous reticule" (as Mum always called my handbag) the box
of chocolates had vanished and in its place on the counter was the very book with the very
number that I needed so urgently !!
Blushing in horror, canker and perversion emanating from every pore, I raced off clutching
my red hot burning and corrupt boat number, and I could feel Mums eyes boring into me
from her little cloud up there above me.......
Now my recent brush with depravity of course came a lot easier, now that my morals have
been lowered and my soul is decayed..... .and after all The Beitbridge Border Post gleefully
invites all transgressors to it dens of iniquity.
Fresh from our air conditioned vehicle, we manfully struggled through the queue for the
little blue customs paper, the queue for the bridge toll, the queue for Immigration and
sallied forth to the queue for the Returning Residents road access. Armed with the massive
sum of $300 Zimbabwe dollars, we joined the seething mass of humanity.... humbly,
contrite, eyes glazed smilingly, submissive as is our recent lot in life in Zimbabwe.... .
Half an hour passed and we were surprisingly, still the last people in the line, but by now
we were beginning to succumb to the forty degree heat and little rivulets of perspiration
were pouring down our backs.
HeeHoo and Big Mike were sweating profusely by this stage and I of course was merely
"glowing" (Mother always said that ladies never sweated !! Horses sweated !! Ladies merely
Glowed !!)
An hour had now passed and we were still the last people in the queue.... Big Mike
however has the advantage of being two heads taller than everyone else, and he could see
quite clearly what the rest of us were missing.
At the front of the queue was a lady in a lime green tee shirt, and she had pinioned herself
carefully at the front of the queue. She was boldly taking the money and gate passes off
anyone and everyone and, with the blessing obviously of the security guard and the uncivil
servant, making herself a tidy little sum of money.
No wonder we were still at the very back of the queue as everyone was going round the
side of the queue and handing their passes and money(plus a gratuity for the lime green
agent) right over our heads !!
Glowing and glowering furiously, we folk who make the laws, now decided to break the
laws and join the rotten state of Zimbabwe, and I found myself brandishing my own gate
pass and a largish bank note right under her lime green nose.
This resulted in immediate service,and I sallied forth triumphantly, my corrupt chin
quivering half in glee and half in terror and my pathway to hell firmly secured for ever-
more !!
I could feel Mum turning in her grave as tottered in guilty haste from that inferno that is
the BeitBridge Border Post !!
A VERY HAPPY BIRTHDAY WISH FOR
MORGAN DEANA LIDDLE
WHO WAS 1 YEAR OLD ON THE 20TH FEBRUARY 2007.
WE WISH YOU ALL THE BEST MY DARLING.
WE PRAY THAT GOD BLESS YOU WITH A WONDERFUL LIFE AHEAD
AND KEEP YOU SAFE ALWAYS.
YOU HAVE BEEN WITH US ONLY 1 YEAR AND HAVE MADE US SUCH PROUD PARENTS.
GOD HAS TRULY BLESSED US WITH YOU IN OUR LIFES
WE LOVE YOU MORGAN.
HEATH LE ROUX
Eldest son of Anthony and Heather, brother to Kieron, nephew of Paul,Jackie, Stephen,
Andy, Lauren and Michael, cousin to Ashleigh, Candice, Natalie, Melissa and Ryan, died in
Scotland on 7th February, his torment is over, May he rest in peace.
Doris Nobe - So sorry Frank and family to hear of the loss of Doris, she was a truly lovely
lady and will be remembered. Our thoughts are with you. Tina (nee Mckenzie,
Granddaughter of Harry Walker), Jon and Emily Buckley
To Dearest Theona and family
Our heartfelt sympathies to you and all your family on the sad passing of your beloved
Ton.
Our thoughts and prayers are with you.
Love Margaret, Betty and families (nee Green)
margaret.smith@ iod.com
"The greatest threat to freedom is the absence of criticism!"
Wole Soyinka
Econet Numbering Plan Change
Our Vision
To provide telecommunications to all the peoples of Zimbabwe
Our Mission
To serve Zimbabwe by pioneering, developing and sustaining reliable, efficient and high
quality telecommunications of uncompromising world class standards and ethics
Our Values
Pioneering Professionalism Personal
BACKGROUND
Econet has been adding subscribers aggressively, following recent network upgrade.
The subscriber base currently stands at 625K subscribers and our theoretical number
capacity is 800K.
In order to add more subscribers Econet is planning to introduce a new numbering plan at
the end of February 2007.
EXISTING CUSTOMERS
The numbering plan will affect all our existing customers.
The numbering plan entails adding another digit before the last six digit of one's mobile
number e.g. 091 (2) 222728.
All existing numbers will be changed over to the seven digit numbers just after midnight
on 26.02.07. These numbers will operate concurrently with the old numbers. For two
weeks. 26.02.07 - 12.03.07
NB Customers do not need to change sim cards, fill in forms or pay for this change in
number.
The change will be done from our side with no disturbances to customers
EXISTING CUSTOMERS communication
Announcements will be played to all incoming callers.
National
Phase 2
Your call is being connected. Please note that the next time you call an Econet number,
you will be required to dial 091 2 then the last six digits of the number you are calling.
Phase 3
The number you are trying to dial has now changed, please dial 091 2 then the last six
digits of the number.
International
Phase 2
Your call is being connected. Your call is being connected. Please note that the next time
you call an Econet number, you will be required to dial +263 91 2 then the last six digits
of the number you are calling.
Phase 3
The number you are trying to dial has now changed, please dial + 263 91 2 then the last
six digits of the number.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQ)
HOW DO I GROW WITH MY NUMBER?
If you are existing Econet subscriber all you simply have to do is to keep your original
number except that you add a 2 after the 091 for example the number 091 366 478
becomes 091 2 366 478.
WHEN IS THIS HAPPENING?
The numbering change is happening on the 26th of February 2007. Every time that you
will make from that day onwards for a period of 2 weeks a voice will remind you that the
numbering has been changed.
I'M ON A BUDDIE /BUSINESS PARTNA /LIBERTIE LINE DOES THIS AFFECT ME?
Yes it applies to everyone on the Econet network.
WHY THE INTRODUCTION OF THE NEW NUMBERING PLAN?
With over 800 000 subscribers we are almost reaching the 1 000 000 mark the new
numbering plan will be able to increase capacity. With increased capacity, you are able to
make more calls more easily.
IN THE TRANSITION PROCESS DO I GET A NEW SIM CARD?
No; all that changes for you is the number.
SAD SERIES
The second sad little cameo I witness daily is the life of abject poverty and misery in
which my friend The Rsaagged Rasta Man lives. He lives under a bush at the top of our
road. He bathes in the water from a broken pipe and gets his drinking water from the
same muddy morass. He grows plants for me in old paint tins, wild guava plants, pawpaw
trees and mango trees from old pips he picks up in the road. He "sells " these to me and I
compliantly put them in the shade house and sometimes move them to Binga or
Chimanimani if we have the space. Whenever I greet him and I say "How are you?" He says
"I am fine thank you".......
PLEASE NOTE THAT THE MIRROR CAN ONLY DEAL WITH E MAIL QUERIES, PLEASE DO NOT PHONE IN YOUR ADVERTS AND QUERIES... ONLY E-MAILS WILL BE CONSIDERED
