Sithembiso Ncube‚ a teaching assistant at a tertiary institution in Zimbabwe‚ has not received a salary for nearly two months. She is among many Zimbabweans who have lost faith in their country’s political system. Not even the upcoming elections are reason for optimism. The best way is to escape the deepening economic crisis. "Things are bad. I am surviving on bank overdrafts and the bank only takes its money as and when government pays us. What hurts me most is that they add interest‚" Ncube said. Her husband‚ Brian‚ owns a small construction company but business is slow. Some of his machinery was attached after he failed to pay workers. The couple hope that moving to Australia will give them a brighter future. "We passed visa interviews last month. He will go first and then I will automatically get a spousal visa‚" Ncube said. The Ncubes are selling their movable property to buy a one-way ticket for Brian. "When he arrives‚ the Australian government will refund his airfare and tha...

Subscribe now to unlock this article.

Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).

There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.

Cancel anytime.

Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.

Speech Bubbles

Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.