waiting

"They can't get their money," the security guard whispers. "It's a big problem."

Crouched on the kerb, lying on the verges, sitting on the steps of the Tel-One building next to the People's Own Savings Bank in the midday sun, people wait. It's civil servants' payday. There are hundreds of them, here and at Agribank one block down. The police are out in force but this time they appear to be waiting for their own payouts, not manning queues. In the few banks that actually have cash, there are whispers of withdrawal limits: 40 US, customers say.

Zimbabweans had hoped the new coalition government would mean the end of cash shortages and bank queues. Apparently not.