Desperate to stay in the queue

It may not be the worst thing you've read about Zimbabwe but this item from The Irish Times (subscription only) is a dreadful symbol of the state of the country:

A pregnant woman in inflation-ridden Zimbabwe gave birth in a queue for groceries rather than surrender her place to other shoppers, Zimbabwe's state newspaper the Herald has reported.

In an indication of growing desperation among Zimbabweans, the woman was reported to have gone into labour outside a store selling a rare stock of food and household utensils.

The Herald said no one in the queue had come to her aid as they were also desperate to access the shop.

"The woman was in the queue to buy groceries and some pots that were on offer. She started panting and sweating profusely probably because she was in labour, but no one assisted her," a witness told the paper.

Some security guards took her inside the building "where we understand she gave birth", the witness said.

The incident occurred in Zimbabwe's second city of Bulawayo where food stocks have been badly depleted.

Here's the report from the Zimbabwe government's Herald newspaper, with its own embroidery: this is the 'first bouncing baby' of the 'price-reduction blitz' - on which see here. (Thanks: SC.)