In a move that will likely set him on a collision course with opposition parties and civic groups intensely campaigning against the introduction of bond notes, the newly elected Member of Parliament for Norton Constituency, Temba Mliswa believes marching against Zimbabwe’s contested currency is misplaced.
Speaking at a youth convention in Harare on Saturday, the former Zanu PF Mashonaland West Chairperson said bond notes were a short term measure to mitigate the ongoing cash crisis.
“I hear there are proposed demonstrations against the bond note. I think that is a silly idea because those bond notes will help us as citizens. The banks are dry and we need the bond notes to trade.
“Maybe those who are planning to stop the introduction of these notes have another way of getting money from somewhere, but what of the rural folks, where are they getting money from? Let us think wisely about this issue before we make knee-jack reactions,” lashed Mliswa.
He attacked Tajamuka and National Electoral Reforms Agenda (NERA) for mobilizing against bond notes saying they were misleading people into panicky mode.
“What NERA and the likes of #Tajamuka should be doing is to educate the masses on how to embrace bond notes rather than sending the wrong signal to innocent citizens. The notes are a necessity to this ailing economy, let us not shun them,” added Mliswa before taking a swipe at politicians and business people whom he accused of hiding the much needed US dollar in offshore accounts around the world.
“It is unfortunate that as citizens we have no choice but to bear the brunt of politicians and business people who hide money in offshore accounts. Instead of citizens blaming the Reserve Bank Governor, they ought to blame heartless politicians. Our people are suffering at the expense of those people who take the money away to other countries,” said Mliswa.
The former Hurungwe legislator believes US dollar is now scarce in Zimbabwe because no other African country use it. “Zimbabwe uses the US dollar and everyone wants to come and take away the few that we have. All our trading partners are after the US dollar and when they take it away, they are not bringing it back. Hence we have a situation where demand for the US dollar is higher yet we do not print the money in Zimbabwe.”
Musanyeperwe / November 14, 2016
Repeat a lie often enough and it becomes truth! What is the real reason why ordinary people are failing to withdraw their monies locked up in the banks? It’s not the foreigners coming to take it away or even the politicians stashing it away. If I, as Mr Chimuti deposited 100 dollars in the bank, it ought to remain there in one form or another until I decide to withdraw it. This money can only go missing if the bank takes it and gives it to someone who has not deposited any money and that someone has not paid it back. No bank has reportedly become insolvent due to bad debts so where has the money gone? There is only one possible culprit and that is the RBZ and its RTGS system. If Mr X from China brings in a container full of shoes to sell in Zimbabwe and he makes 10000 dollars and takes it all back to China, is he to be blamed for my bank failing to let me withdraw my 100 dollars? The answer is no. All the people that bought shoes from Mr X saw value in what he was selling and gave him their money willingly. That money should not have anything to do with my 100 dollars still in the bank. What has happened is that through its RTGS system, the RBZ has injected non existent money paying its creditors in various banks with fictitious transfers. If an RBZ creditor was given 100 dollars via RTGS and he happens to use the same bank as me, it means that our bank now has 200 dollars in customer deposits but only half of that is real money. If the other guy goes to the bank and withdraws “his” 100 dollars first, the bank will give him my genuine 100 dollars which leaves a hole in the system filled with the fictitious RBZ entry.
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