Of Coffee And The Domino Effect

If you were having coffee with me I would ask you if you knew that a shadow appears something is in the way of light, before you answered quickly yes you knew that; I would stop you and say you think you know but have you really thought about it, a flame casts no shadow……

A flame casts no shadow

If you were having coffee with me I would tell you that these are type of conversations we had in a fuel queue, to pass time during the over 3 hour wait in a fuel queue to get petrol.

Fuel queue in zimbabwe
Super chibuku in a fuel queue

I have heard people joke that Zimbabwe might be in the Guinness Book Of Records for having the longest fuel queue, well it might not be a true fact but we have had some pretty crazy fuel queues.

If you were having coffee with me I would tell you that we stuck it through with a very long fuel queue because word on the streets was that effective midnight (13 January) the fuel price would go up and true to the word the president was on national TV announcing that fuel was going to go up by over 100% from about $1.50;
Petrol now cost $3.31 per litre and diesel $3.11

Even though the president assured the nation that the prices for everything else would remain the same, you wont need to be an economic analyst to predict the domino effect; how the fuel price hike will probably trigger an increase in transport driven services and by extension an increase in the prices for services as everyone simply passes on the cost along their chain and pretty much everything else will go up too; even things that are not affected directly by the fuel price increase will rise courtesy of an entrepreneur trying to cushion themselves from the rising consumer bucket.

If you were having coffee with me I would tell you that the civil servants sector in the past week refused a proposed 10% pay increase by the government. With the least paid government employee earning about $400 then that would translate to a $40 pay increase which would barely cover anything especially now in light of the 100+% fuel price increase. Its interesting noting how different newspapers phrased the headlines for the civil servant pay increase.

If you were having coffee with me, I would tell you that now looks like a good time to start looking into ways of alternative transport or even alternative fuels for vehicles, we have a tremendous amount of sunshine this side of the world, yet I have never seen a solar powered vehicle, where are all these genius ideas and concepts…..Maybe I should have a chat with Elon Musk if you know how I can contact him please holla at me.

solar powered car 
green energy

If you were having coffee with me I would tell you I am grateful that once you learn how to ride a bicycle you can never forget because looks like a bicycle might just become my preferred economic mode of transportation

Riding a bicycle

“A bicycle is curious vehicle. Its passenger is its engine.”

John Howard

What’s going on in your neck of the woods? Here’s to an awesome week ahead


PS would the price of internet access be affected by a rise in the fuel price, it shouldn’t right?…..


  1. I wish I could send you gas from the U.S. Our gas prices have been scarily low. As in so low people have begun questioning whether or not Trump has sold our country to someone in order to get the gas prices down. I don’t understand what is happening in this world we’re in now.

    I am glad, though, that you have a bike, should it actually come to that. And that you know how to ride it! I cannot ride a bike. I was never very good at it when I was younger, and I don’t imagine that now, being nearly 40, I will be any better at it.

    I hope this week brings good news for you somehow!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Can I 3D print gas and out it in a car hahahaha
      right I am almost at that point where I would say I dont even care if the president sells the country if thats what it takes to get things back on track as I blow of dust from pages of my passport thinking I wish I could be anywhere but here……

      How can you not ride a bike though??????????????????? Its easy you just try not fall off hahahaha its like swimming the longer you spend at it the better you get, unless you are drowning than you arent getting better you are dying

      I really could use some good news thanks

      Have an awesome week

      Liked by 1 person

  2. I remember lines for fuel in the US back in the 1970s but not since then. People got very frustrated needless to say. But your line is even longer than what I remember! I’m glad you have the bike.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. look like we are going back in time, if raising prices of fuel means that you dont have to wait in queues as long as these and you are not even guaranteed that you will get it, the gas station could run out and you spent all day there, imagine that….

      2019 is the year I will get super fit

      Liked by 1 person

  3. Sounds like a rough time over there! Hopefully the fuel situation will get better soon, and don’t worry, if I happen to see Elon walking about, I’ll send him your way.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Looks we are in for a bumpy ride, as the citizenry become restless calling to #shutdownzim

      hahaha if you happen to Elon throwing cars into space tell him to send one this way it might even save lives

      Liked by 1 person

  4. What a dramatic price increase over night. It is obvious that everything will be affected. Dreams of brighter and better days…….

    Liked by 1 person

  5. I know I can always rely on you to frame the narrative of events in Zimbabwe better than the news agencies. I often wonder how many Zimbabweans are obsessed with self sufficiency enough to do everything they can to learn how to make own food, create a network of batter for specialized services and modify machinery to harness solar energy. I guess it requires one to have startup funds …Just like here in South Africa. All below the poverty line are stuck at the bottom of Maslow’s hierarchy.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thank you for reading and your thoughts, I remember a quote I read somewhere about how….. the people with ideas have no power and those with power have no ideas and this is how we end up in that endless cycle with ever increasing gap of this with and those without, the rich get richer exploiting ideas and labour of the poor who in turn only get poorer…


  6. Wouldn’t it be funny and amazing if everyone stopped driving cars. No more leisure driving. Gas prices might suddenly drop after that. You mentioned solar power and the lack of it. Has anyone brought up that question to your government?

    Liked by 1 person

    1. The government is… lets just say rather difficult to get into fruitful dialogue with.

      I would expect by now we should be have buildings with solar roofing tiles but nooooo…….

      Liked by 1 person

  7. It will be surprising for you to know that oil producing country like mine do face such horrible situation. That includes workers strike. I pray it gets better. Hummnmmmn!

    Liked by 1 person

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