Zimbabwe rolls out $500 million bill

Posted By Joshua Keating Friday, May 16, 2008 - 10:39 AM Share

ALEXANDER JOE/AFP/Getty Images

With no apparent sense of their own absurdity, Zimbabwe's central bank has issued a new bill worth 500 million Zimbabwe dollars to ease cash shortages. This follows the Z$250 million bill (pictured) that they issued last week. Prices for goods now double every week as the country braces for a runoff in what has already been a bloody and controversial presidential election.

I'm a little suprised that President Robert Mugabe hasn't followed Hugo Chavez's lead and just chopped a few zeroes off the end, if only to save accountants some headaches.

EXPLORE:AFRICA, CULTURE, ECONOMICS

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DRAKE

11:13 AM ET

May 16, 2008

economy 101

looks like someone forgot economy 101, or post world war I Germany.

CARDUCCI

3:07 AM ET

May 27, 2008

Why South Africa never got involved - I don't know

Why South Africa didn't step in during the elections is something I don't fully understand.

Could many of the recent atrocities in SA have been avoided if a little less complacent attitude had been adopted with Zimbabwe?

It's possible.

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