Book fair suffers impact of economic crisis

The annual Zimbabwe International Book Fair (ZIBF) was this year described as a "non-event" by the publishing industry, acknowledging that books had become a luxury for Zimbabweans struggling to make ends meet. "Libraries and books are among the casualties of the economic challenges facing our country today," said ZIBF director Samuel Matasangaise. "Individuals have to make a hard choice between spending their bearer cheque [Zimbabwe currency] on the latest book by their favourite author, or a child textbook, and using scarce money to replenish their dwindling food basket." The public and major authors were absent from this key annual event in the publishing industry, which opened on Tuesday under the theme 'Voices: Dialogue Across Nations'. "People cannot come here on empty stomachs, so the bottom line is that people want to have food first before reading a book," noted poet Freedom Mubaya. "There is nothing to talk about for this year's book fair, it's a non-event," said the marketing manager of a well-known publishing house. With an inflation rate of around 400 percent, ordinary households are unable to afford basic commodities. IRIN reported last month that the capital, Harare, had seen a rising number of kwashiorkor cases. The symptoms of kwashiorkor, caused by inadequate protein consumption, include a bloated stomach and spindly arms and legs, and can result in death if not treated. The International Monetary Fund calculated that Zimbabwe's GDP had fallen by 30 percent over the last five years and expected another 4 to 5 percent decline this year. "Unemployment is very high and increasing; social indicators, which were once among the best in Africa, have worsened, and the widespread HIV/AIDS pandemic remains largely unchecked," the Fund said. The UN's Food and Agricultural Organisation has predicted yet another poor harvest for Zimbabwe this season, the third in a row.