‘Few Cheers For Prez George Weah’ This Christmas | Politics

Rather than celebrating, Liberians seem to be in mourning this Christmas – thanks to the fact that the financial crisis in this former colony of freed slaves has been worsening since former international football star George Weah was elected president two years ago.

“Honestly, in my entire life this is the first time that I am not able to give my children anything [at Christmas],” a mother-of-five who works in the office of a lawmaker told the BBC.

“I am so ashamed of myself. I am not able to even buy one pair of slippers for one of them,” she said.

This is because Liberia’s cash crisis is beginning to look like Zimbabwe’s, with tens of thousands of people on the government payroll – including lawmakers, teachers and doctors – not receiving their salaries for months on end.