gigi

There are two sides to every central bank chief.

One side: Gideon Gono, the man behind the relentless printing of Zimbabwe dollar notes for more than five years. Zimbabwe's hyperinflation is now the second worst in history, according to Washington's Cato Institute. Dr Gono also stands accused of dishing out freebie tractors, ploughs, combines and fuel in a bid to up ZANU-PF's chances of winning last year's poll; paying youth militias; diverting donor cash to government projects etc, etc. The former opposition MDC would like to see Gono gone.

Another side: the son of a friend (white) was involved in a car accident at the weekend, in Harare's plush Borrowdale Brooke suburb. Dr Gono stopped at the scene and asked if he was alright. When he heard an ambulance had been called, he pulled out his wallet -- and a 50 US note. "Those ambulances are expensive," he said. "That's all I've got on me. Put it towards the ambulance.."