Anyway, it seems that Barclays is once again tweaking up mainstream (white) blood pressure by allegedly supporting a cause which allegedly hinges on taking stuff from white people and giving it to black people. Lots of allegedlies - just as Apartheid South Africa was largely in the dark about what the ANC actually was and wasn't, I find myself very much in the dark about what actually is and isn't happening in Zim - a country I last visited 20-odd years ago when it was new and shiny and a great place to source "No easy walk to freedom" T-shirts and enough banned literature for some serious Liberation Before Education study groups.
It was our neighbour to the north that taught me, as a child, that economics was not the career for me. As Whenwes streamed across our border and into our schools and neighbourhoods, the conversation between the adults inevitably turned to matters economic. My one attempt at understanding proved futile:
"Why does Mr B have so many leather jackets?"
"He brought them back from Rhodesia because he can't get his money out of the country."
"But why?"
"Because if they let everyone take their money out of the country, the economy would collapse."
"Then why does he want to take his money out of the country?"
"Because the economy is going to collapse."
Rather like my attempt at studying Science at Stellenbosch "university", I found that answer rather unsatisfying. So instead I flipped politely through the copper coasters claiming "Rhodesia is Super", gazed sadly at the bumper stickers calling for "Rhodesia - no sell out!" and waited for the economy to collapse. And, some thirty years later, perhaps it has, as a fresh generation of Zimbabweans streams across the borders into our schools and our neighbourhoods, bearing Zimbabwean artefacts for resale in SA in their turn.
And, as my mind is boggled by talk of hyper-inflation at more than 1000%, I realise anew that I was right about that career in Economics not being for me.