Archive for March, 2008

Voting with their stomachs

(March 28th, 2008)

Zimbabwe has gone from being a net food exporting country to one with a critical food shortage — all of which will play into Sunday’s presidential election. Marketplace’s Africa correspondent Gretchen Wilson talks with Kai Ryssdal about the nation’s crisis.

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stories   audio   Marketplace   economy   Zimbabwe   food   elections   human rights   unemployment

Loads of hope and food for Zimbabwe

(March 27th, 2008)

Overwhelmed by hyperinflation, food is one of the only things with real value in Zimbabwe. Gretchen Wilson reports from a lot in Johannesburg, where passengers are loading a bus to capital city Harare with food.

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stories   audio   South Africa   Marketplace   trade   Johannesburg   economy   Zimbabwe   food   unemployment

Third World export: security guards

(March 26th, 2008)

The number of civilian contractors killed in Iraq last year rose 17%. Not all of them were Americans. Private security firms are increasingly using third-country nationals to support the war. Gretchen Wilson reports from Namibia.

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stories   audio   South Africa   Marketplace   economy   human rights   oil   unemployment   military   Namibia

Zimbabwe’s new ‘empowerment’ law

(March 11th, 2008)

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TEXT OF STORY
Scott Jagow: The presidential candidates may find it daunting to come up with an economic plan people will embrace. Imagine if they were running for president in Zimbabwe. Inflation there is more than 100,000 percent.
The incumbent, Robert Mugabe, is pushing a campaign theme of “economic empowerment.” He says he’ll give […]

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audio   Marketplace   trade   economy   Zimbabwe   food   elections   small business   unemployment