Constancy

This week one of the main cellphone operators in Zimbabwe cancelled all contract lines and converted them to a pay-as-you-go system. The primary reason is that due to the spiralling inflation rate and ongoing black market devaluation of the local currency, by the time the bills have been processed and the clients paid (normally by cheque-and a company may only withdraw the equivalent of less than 2USD a day from the bank) the value of the money is a fraction of the value of the service provided. Inconvenient for people, you bet. The pre-paid system is tedious and you have to keep topped up or you can’t call. Have people complained, you bet.

The loudest complaints though have been from those whose companies don’t accept cheques either, but expect everyone to take theirs. That’s plain hypocrisy and one of the reasons the Zim is in the mess it is in. Living your life at one standard while expecting others to live at another for your convenience is wrong anyway you look at it. Integrity is the opposite and highly valued by others.