May 10, 2006
Zimbabweans find relief in laughter
Faced with catastrophic economic crisis, Zimbabweans are finding some relief from their general misery in witty emails and mobile phone text jokes about President Robert Mugabe and his government. [via Spero News]
"By SMS and email, they are able to make candid comments about their president, the collapsing economy, widespread hunger and a near-worthless currency that is the laughing stock of the southern African region. If made more publicly, such remarks could land them in jail.
... A new vein of humour has come from "Breakfast With Mugabe", a play currently being performed by the Royal Shakespeare Company in London. One complaint taken from the drama is now whizzing around cellphones and emails in Zimbabwe - "It's hard work being a despot. There is never a break for me".
... The government has been working desperately behind the scenes for almost a year to find a way to stem the flow of jokes.
There are already laws making it a criminal offence to ridicule the president or to gesticulate rudely at his armoured motorcade. Now his civil servants are working on a law that will give the government powers to spy on citizens' emails and bug their cellphones".
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