A number of EcoCash agents and cash dealers in Zvishavane were left in panic mode after the announcement by President Emmerson Mnangagwa that the new bank notes and coins that are set to be introduced into the market tomorrow will ease cash shortages facing the country.
Addressing his first anti-sanctions rally at Tshovani Stadium , yesterday President Mnangagwa said the new notes and coins will save the transacting public from being charged extortionate premiums by mobile money operators when getting hard cash.
“You were not getting money from the banks, but on Monday (tomorrow) we are going to inject more money in the banks until we reach a level where you lose appetite to go and get cash from EcoCash.
“You will simply go to the bank if you have money in your account and withdraw it to buy what you want. Right now, we are told that if you want $100 bond you should transfer $150 into an agent’s account.
“You are losing the other $50 for nothing.
“This is because there are cash shortages in the banks. We are now injecting money in the banks to correct that.”
In an interview with Great Dyke News 24, a number of illegal cash dealers in Zvishavane said the move by the government might see the end of their roads as they were making a leaving out of it.
“I can’t believe this, as you know we are close to South Africa things have been going well with us,we had access to foreign currency especially the rand and the US dollar and we could burn it to get Ecocash and bond notes.
“For the past days we made a lot of money only to be surprised yesterday that rates might go down,l have a lot of foreign currency which l can’t review the amount and if things remain like this l am in trouble,” said Ras T a well known cash dealer in Zvishavane.
“I am receiving a number of calls from my clients it seems like they want to dumb old notes for me so l am confused now.
“When l heard the message by the president yesterday l thought it was a joke but ndikutoona kuti zvadhakwa that might be the end of the road for us but we have another survival skills,” said Talent Mazambani.
“Chikuru kufema mdhara to me it’s still speculation,for as long as we do not have enough minerals to back up our economy ,the move is just temporary.
“l think they are doing it in favor of the civil servants to get their salaries especially the army and after that we are back in streets,” said Mrs Marwizi .
