Zimbabwe abandons its currency

[BAK]

Zimbabwe abandons its currency
BBC News Online​

Shoppers in Harare discuss the implications of paying in other currencies

Zimbabweans will be allowed to conduct business in other currencies, alongside the Zimbabwe dollar, in an effort to stem the country's runaway inflation.

The announcement was made by acting Finance Minister Patrick Chinamasa.

BBC southern Africa correspondent Peter Biles says the Zimbabwean dollar has become a laughing stock. A Z$100 trillion note was recently introduced.

Until now only licensed businesses could accept foreign currencies, although it was common practice.

The country is also facing an deepening humanitarian crisis as well.

A cholera outbreak has killed over 3,000 people according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

And the World Food Programme (WFP) has revised up the number of people it says need food aid.


Our people are now using multiple currencies alongside the Zimbabwean dollar

Patrick Chinamasa
Acting Finance Minister

It now says seven million Zimbabweans are in need of food aid, up from 5.1 million in June.

WFP regional spokesman Richard Lee said the situation had deteriorated rapidly.

"The economic situation has worsened more dramatically than we had anticipated," he told AFP.

"The agency is being forced to halve the cereal rations given to hungry Zimbabweans so that all the people in need can receive aid."

Hyperinflation

Mr Chinamasa made the announcement as he delivered the annual budget to parliament.

"In line with the prevailing practices by the general public, [the] government is therefore allowing the use of multiple foreign currencies for business transactions alongside the Zimbabwean dollar," he said.

The country is in the grip of world-record hyperinflation which has left the Zimbabwean dollar virtually worthless - 231m% in July 2008, the most recent figure released.

Teachers, doctors and civil servants have gone on strike complaining that their salaries - which equal trillions of Zimbabwean dollars - are not even enough to catch the bus to work each day.

Worthless

A 40-year-old Zimbabwean primary school teacher from the capital Harare, told the BBC news website earlier this week it cost nearly US$2 a day to travel to work, but inflation had reduced the average teacher's wage to the equivalent of US$1 a month.

He said he now made a living reselling maize to families in high density areas, as it made more money than teaching.

Before the announcement, shops in Zimbabwe were increasingly demanding payment in US dollars - a reality acknowledged by Mr Chinamasa.

"In the hyper-inflationary environment characterising the economy, our people are now using multiple currencies alongside the Zimbabwean dollar. These include the [South African] rand, US dollar, Botswana pula, euro and British pound among others."

A Harare resident said even street vendors were refusing to accept Zimbabwean notes.

Last year, the Central Bank was forced to slash 10 zeros from the local unit in an effort to make the currency more manageable.

Correspondents say that although the local currency will still be printed, all prices will be set in US dollars, making the Zimbabwe dollar irrelevant.

The country's economy is now on the brink of collapse - a situation worsened by the political crisis that resulted from last year's disputed presidential elections.

 

[Susuviri]

Jamani hivi sasa we are all guilty of sitting on the sidelines and not speacking up about Zimbabwe. What Mugabe is doing with his people is unacceptable! Starving them to death! Get rid of Mugabe NOW!

 

[Outlier]

Jamani hivi sasa we are all guilty of sitting on the sidelines and not speacking up about Zimbabwe. What Mugabe is doing with his people is unacceptable! Starving them to death! Get rid of Mugabe NOW!

Why do you think Zimbabweans are not removing him by force?

 

[Susuviri]

Why do you think Zimbabweans are not removing him by force?

Come on, is it fair, when you have been beaten, abused, starved that you cannot fight off the people who hijacked you? Unafikiri Mugabe amekaa madarakani kwa sababu anapendwa? Come on! It is a brutal police state! We umeona hali wanayotoka political opponents wakikamatwa?

 

[Pundamilia07]

Hali ya uchumi wa Zimbabwe inasikitisha sana. 1987 nilipokuwa Harare niliweza kutumia Z$ 2 kupata chakula cha mchana bila ya wasiwasi, lakini leo hali tofauti kabisa.
Ninavyoona mimi huenda pesa za wazimbabwe zipo mahali watu /viongozi wachache wamezichota. There is a need kwa nchi za Afrika kama zinataka kuisadia basi kufanyike uchunguzi wa kubaini kama kuna pesa zilichotwa na ziko wapi.

 

[Nyambala]

Halafu bado Mugabe anandelea kuitwa/ kujiita the true son of Africa. It was just last yr when the business community suggested the same. Well kwamba Zim watumie South African Rand Mugabe aling'aka na kusema Zim is a sovereign state na hicho kitu haiwezekani maana ni imperialistc. Sasa yu wapi?

 

[Mahmoud Qaasim]

Why blame goes to Mugabe???, amefanya kosa gani?, nakubaliana kwamba mara zote chombo kwenda mrama lawama zamwendea nahodha, kwa hilo ni sawa.
Lakini tatizo la Zimbabwe sio Mugabe, ila ni sera zinazowachukiza wazungu, hivyo wanaiadhibu nchi. Wengi wanamchukia Mugabe ati kwa kuwa amekaa madarakani muda mrefu, mimi kwangu kiongozi kukaa madarakani muda mrefu sio tatizo na hata akiwa ni kiongozi wa maisha sioni kama ni tatizo, tena ningefurahi sana kama Waafrika sote tungempa suport Mugabe katika hali zote za kiuchumi na kisiasa ili wazungu wajione wajinga lakini kinyume chake waafrika tunaonekana wajinga ku-side na wazungu kumlaumu na kumlaani Mugabe. Hebu tutizame kwa macho mawili ili tuone.
Mbona hatujilalamikii nchi za kifalme kwamba Mfalme katawala miaka mingi tumng'owe? hebu tuondoshe double standards tufikiri fairly.

 

[Netanyahu]

Halafu bado Mugabe anandelea kuitwa/ kujiita the true son of Africa. It was just last yr when the business community suggested the same. Well kwamba Zim watumie South African Rand Mugabe aling'aka na kusema Zim is a sovereign state na hicho kitu haiwezekani maana ni imperialistc. Sasa yu wapi?

Aling`aka kwa sababu ni fisadi.Viongozi wengi wa Afrika hupata fedha za kigeni kwa kupitia tenda za kuchapisha noti viwanda vya uchapishaji noti.

Mugabe hana njia ya uhakika ya kujipatia fedha za kigeni zaidi ya mradi wa uchapishaji noti kila kukicha.Sasa alikasirika sababu ukisema Zimbabwe watumia Rand Afrika ya kusini ina maana unaua mradi wake wa kupata hela kupitia uchapishaji noti maana kila noti ichapishwayo unalipia hela za kigeni na ni mradi mkubwa wa uhakika kwa mafisadi wengi wa Afrika wakiwemo viongozi wa serikali na maafisa mabenki wahusikao na uchapishaji noti.Wengi wao huwa ni matajiri na mafisadi wakubwa wa kutisha.Sijui kwa nchi kama Tanzania lakini kwa nchi nyingi za Afrika uchapishaji noti ndio mrija mkuu ujazao pesa akaunti za vigogo wahusikao na uchapishaji pesa nje ya nchi na ndani.

Mugabe naye ni fisadi.Kuchapisha noti mpya kila siku kunamfurahisha sababu halali njaa.Kila noti ichapishwayo ujue kuna kula hapo.Lazima angeng`aka fisadi huyo.

 

[Kang]

Why blame goes to Mugabe???, amefanya kosa gani?, nakubaliana kwamba mara zote chombo kwenda mrama lawama zamwendea nahodha, kwa hilo ni sawa.
Lakini tatizo la Zimbabwe sio Mugabe, ila ni sera zinazowachukiza wazungu, hivyo wanaiadhibu nchi. Wengi wanamchukia Mugabe ati kwa kuwa amekaa madarakani muda mrefu, mimi kwangu kiongozi kukaa madarakani muda mrefu sio tatizo na hata akiwa ni kiongozi wa maisha sioni kama ni tatizo, tena ningefurahi sana kama Waafrika sote tungempa suport Mugabe katika hali zote za kiuchumi na kisiasa ili wazungu wajione wajinga lakini kinyume chake waafrika tunaonekana wajinga ku-side na wazungu kumlaumu na kumlaani Mugabe. Hebu tutizame kwa macho mawili ili tuone.
Mbona hatujilalamikii nchi za kifalme kwamba Mfalme katawala miaka mingi tumng'owe? hebu tuondoshe double standards tufikiri fairly.

Yaani tumsupport mtu aliyeshindwa uchaguzi akan'ang'ania kwa nguvu? kwa vile ni mwafrika? Wazungu wanaiadhibu vipi nchi?
Matatizo ya inflation yametokana na serikali kwanza kuchapisha hela ovyo hivyo kuongeza supply ya hela, pia baada ya kusababisha inflation serikali ikajaribu kuwalaumu wafanyabiashara "waroho" na kuweka price controls, sasa hela inapoteza thamani kila siku na hauruhusiwi kuongeza bei ta vitu, nani atafanya biashara hiyo? Ndo maana hakuna kitu madukani.

Not to mention watu wanakufa kwa kipindupindu, Mugabe anasema hakuna kipindupindu.

 

[Nyambala]

Why blame goes to Mugabe???, amefanya kosa gani?, nakubaliana kwamba mara zote chombo kwenda mrama lawama zamwendea nahodha, kwa hilo ni sawa.
Lakini tatizo la Zimbabwe sio Mugabe, ila ni sera zinazowachukiza wazungu, hivyo wanaiadhibu nchi. Wengi wanamchukia Mugabe ati kwa kuwa amekaa madarakani muda mrefu, mimi kwangu kiongozi kukaa madarakani muda mrefu sio tatizo na hata akiwa ni kiongozi wa maisha sioni kama ni tatizo, tena ningefurahi sana kama Waafrika sote tungempa suport Mugabe katika hali zote za kiuchumi na kisiasa ili wazungu wajione wajinga lakini kinyume chake waafrika tunaonekana wajinga ku-side na wazungu kumlaumu na kumlaani Mugabe. Hebu tutizame kwa macho mawili ili tuone.
Mbona hatujilalamikii nchi za kifalme kwamba Mfalme katawala miaka mingi tumng'owe? hebu tuondoshe double standards tufikiri fairly.

Si lazima kuchangia kitu usichokielewa!

 

[Kituko]

habari tunazozipata zote ni negative side, huwezi kupata positive side ya zimbabwe, na majority tunafata western wanavyotueleza kwenye vyombo vyao vya habari, hivi ndugu yangu KANG wewe hujui kwamba zimbabwe kuna vikwazo vya kiuchumi, jamaa hawezi kuimport wala ku export sasa wewe uantegemea uchumi utakuaje
vilevile inakupasa uwe unajua upepo wa dunia unaelekea wapi, maraisi wangapi ndugu yangu wemeingia au wapo madarakani kwa kubabaisha lakini wanakubalika (MUSEVENI, RAISI MSTAAFU BUSH, GHADAFF ETC), mi nadhani uwe mtambuzi wa kujua anayekupa habari ana interest gani? maelfu wanakufa kwa EBOLA Congo na Angola lakini ujasikia Raisi anaambiwa ajiuzuru, lakini kipindupindu cha ZIM unamwambia Mugabe ajiuzuru,
watanzania tukiwa na Upeo mdogo wa Kuchambua habari kutoka source tofauti na wasiwasi tutakumbwa na upepo usioeleweka mwelekeo wake

 

[Nyambala]

Mkuu Kituko!

habari tunazozipata zote ni negative side, huwezi kupata positive side ya zimbabwe, na majority tunafata western wanavyotueleza kwenye vyombo vyao vya habari

Mkuu hili si la kweli sisi wengine like me tuna first hand information za Zim, kwa sababu nimeishi Zim, I have as many relatives and friends like in TZ, and I usually visit there and read local zim forums and online news.


, hivi ndugu yangu KANG wewe hujui kwamba zimbabwe kuna vikwazo vya kiuchumi, jamaa hawezi kuimport wala ku export sasa wewe uantegemea uchumi utakuaje

Hii mkuu si kweli na sijui umelitoa wapi, the type of sanctions in Zim ni targeted sanctions on some individuals na biashara zao. Na if ths type of sanction unayoisema hapa ikiwa implemented Zim won't survive a week. Kama hawezi kuimport where o u think they get their fuel from? Ooh well kuna visima kule lol!

vilevile inakupasa uwe unajua upepo wa dunia unaelekea wapi, maraisi wangapi ndugu yangu wemeingia au wapo madarakani kwa kubabaisha lakini wanakubalika (MUSEVENI, RAISI MSTAAFU BUSH, GHADAFF ETC), mi nadhani uwe mtambuzi wa kujua anayekupa habari ana interest gani?

What we condemn Mugabe for is dicatorship na sio miaka mingi kukaa madarakani, Just of recent as last December some civil rights leaders, opposition leaders and supporters were kidnapped annd abducted for more than a month. Serikali ilikana kujua hao watu waliko na baadae ikaja kueleweka wapo kwenye vituo vya polisi. Wakashinikizwa kuwapeleka mahakamani ambako serikali imewafungulia treason charges on basis kwamba wanarecruit bandits kwenda Botswana kwenye training ya kijeshi ili kuja kumpindua Mugabe. Hii si mara ya kwanza in 2007 serikali had the same clims for some individuals that they were training in SA to come and overthrow the govt. Walipoambiwa kuthibitisha wakakwama mpaka leo. Huyu mzee aliwahi hata kumzushia Joshua Nkomo kwamba alitakka kumpindua.

maelfu wanakufa kwa EBOLA Congo na Angola lakini ujasikia Raisi anaambiwa ajiuzuru, lakini kipindupindu cha ZIM unamwambia Mugabe ajiuzuru,

Unatakiwa unapojenga hoja uwe na facts na sio opinions, ell ebola so far bado inafanyiwa research na bado haijaeleweka vizuri lakini cholera ni ugonjwa unaofahamika, una tiba na chanzo chke kikuu ni contamination kwenye maji hasa ya kunywa. Elewa kwamba Zim hakuna utamaduni wa kuchemsha maji kwani maji from he tape they have been alwayz clean. Sasa serikali ya Mugabe Imefail kununua chemicals ZA KUTREAT HAYO MAJI. Well kipindupindu kinatokea Mugabe anasema hakuna, waziri wake anasema hiyo ni biological bomb kutoka US. Does this leadership have brains kweli?

watanzania tukiwa na Upeo mdogo wa Kuchambua habari kutoka source tofauti na wasiwasi tutakumbwa na upepo usioeleweka mwelekeo wake

Wewe ndio una upeo mdogo na jifunze kuresearch kabla ya kurukiarukia mambo. Watu wa namna yako ndio mmeiweka CCM madarakani for the last 47 yrs.


Kwa faida yako nakushauri uwe unasomasoma the following local news sites kwa kuclick juu yake

1. thezimbabwetimes.com

2. thezimbabweindependent.com

3. Zimdaily.com

4. newzimbabwe.com

5. Zimbabwesituations.com

5. Zimbabwejournalists.com

 

[Nyambala]

Muckraker: Puppet Formation Peddles Zanu PF's Delusional Agenda
Friday, 30 January 2009 09:35


Another week and another funny little organisation popping up its head to support Zanu PF's discredited agenda.

The Zimbabwe Sovereignty Preservers and Economic Survival Support Network joins a list of ruling-party mouthpieces such as Advocate Dinha's Lawyers for Justice outfit, the clueless Zimbabwe Federation of Trade Unions, and the North-Korean-style February 21st Movement that seems to "move" only once a year.

The Zimbabwe Sovereignty Preservers and Economic Survival Support Network has been around since last year, we are told, but hasn't actually done anything since then. Its "founder", Paradzai Magauze, challenged the MDC-T to stop taking instructions from the British and Americans.


It is not difficult to see who he is taking instructions from!


He urged the MDC-T to put the country first and "not sacrifice our sovereignty for United States dollars".
Are these the same United States dollars that parastatals are demanding for the payment of accounts; that senior army officers are getting as part of their salaries; that the Acting Minister of Finance used for his budget forecasts because the Zim dollar has completely crashed?


Magauze denounced the MDC-T's "ruinous chameleon-type of politics".


But who is it that has ruined commercial agriculture, ruined industry and commerce, ruined the country's productive capacity, ruined the nation's reputation, and ruined its prospects by driving its best qualified people into exile?


Why doesn't Magauze and his puppet creation ask five million Zimbabweans why they can't live in this wreck of a country any longer?


And why does he expect Morgan Tsvangirai to join a government which believes it can command popular support by a campaign of abduction and torture?


"Any government that tortures its own citizens has lost all sense of legitimacy," Graca Machel said last week.


Please will Zanu PF and its very obvious surrogates stop deluding themselves. There can be no future for a leader or party that behaves like this; that breaks the law at will and holds the country hostage.


The Zimbabwe Sovereignty Preservers - who get no marks for their silly title unless they are all five years old - hailed President Mugabe as "an icon of peace and father figure".


Mugabe's victory in the June 27 presidential run-off "shamed the country's detractors", they said. Perhaps they meant simply "shamed the country".

Has Zimbabwe any friends left? However exasperated Sadc may be with Tsvangirai's antics (taking a two-hour consultation break when he asked for a couple of minutes would infuriate most people), it is a sign of their impatience with Mugabe that they have not swallowed all his claims to be battling forces mobilising to bring the country down.

Nobody is about to invade Zimbabwe and the more the state media repeats it the sillier it sounds.


Most Sadc heads have very cordial relations with Britain and the United States. Why would Britain and the US want to occupy a semi-derelict country whose resources have already been plundered by a plague of local locusts?


By the way, when did we last hear from President Obiang? Or Hugo Chavez?


Why are they giving Zimbabwe a wide berth?

Last week Muckraker drew attention to President Barack Obama's remarks in his inaugural address about certain regimes with clenched fists being on "the wrong side of history".


We naturally assumed that referred to our own delinquents. But then the Chinese decided it referred to them and cut it out of their broadcast of the speech.


Now the Guardian has added its penny's worth by claiming that it referred to Egypt!


Can you imagine, the Guardian's Jonathan Freedland suggesting in all seriousness that Egypt's rulers must have "shifted uneasily in their seats" when they heard the reference?


What nonsense! Where's he been all this time? It was so obviously a quote tailored for Zimbabwe. The Egyptians came nowhere near the definition. After all, their history goes back 4 000 years!

The Herald appears to have decided that Pretoria, the South African capital, is now called Tshwane and that it is politically correct to use that name.


Muckraker recalls how reporters used to think Cote d'Ivoire was the post-colonial name for the Ivory Coast.
Pretoria, we are pleased to announce, is still very much alive and well despite the Herald's best efforts. We note Sadc leaders referred to "Pretoria" in their communiqué.


Many of South Africa's major cities such as Pretoria, Port Elizabeth and Durban have incorporated surrounding townships to form mega-cities administered by a single metropolitan authority. Those metro authorities have taken new names. Durban for instance is eThekwini and Port Elizabeth is Nelson Mandela. But the original city names remain.


Pretoria continues to be the capital and many city suburbs fall within its administrative ambit. Tshwane is the name for Greater Pretoria including such suburbs as Mamelodi and Soshanguve.

We read with interest a report in the Herald on Wednesday that the much talked about charity soccer match between musicians and former soccer players a fortnight ago raised $853 trillion in local currency. The report said $530 trillion was used to cover expenses, meaning the remaining $320 trillion was last week "equally split between the two selected beneficiaries".


That was a paltry US$160 at the time, and US$80 at the present rate! All this generous media mileage for a mere US$160! This is just a publicity stunt for the promoter, Partson Chimbodza. Wouldn't it have been easier for the organisers to approach an individual, say, Aleck Macheso, to donate to the cause and save the logistic headache of arranging an event like the one at Gwanzura?


And considering that $160 is just about the kind of money four average revellers spend on drinks and meat at Macheso's shows, it would have been less straining to ask revellers at one of the musical shows to kindly donate.

That way a decent amount would be raised, we think. We hear an association called "Celebrities for Charity" was born out of the soccer match to organise more events. In future this group needs to get serious and be worthy of every publicity they get, kwete mbodza iyi Partson.

We spotted a report last week about Harare council workers and Zimpost being on strike. Our question: How can you tell?

 

[Bongolander]

Why do you think Zimbabweans are not removing him by force?

Because Mugabe has a monopoly of force, he has all force with him and he is using it to stay in power.

 

[Natty Bongoman]

Why do you think Zimbabweans are not removing him by force?

I don't see them having that capacity when Mugabe still owns armed forces, however, they have risen up democratically only to be beaten up and some killed.

If this continues, and Afrikan leaders stays as complacent as they have been so far, then the refugees who have left the country will one day come back armed.

Also, I think it is a matter of time, before the economy hits home to these owned armed forces... at which point, they might revolt... I wish to not see another Afrikan country going through a coup only to have another dictator. Armed forces generals are used to ordering people, not negotiating - and lower ranks, gets intoxicated by powers ala Idi Amin (Uganda) and Samuel Doe (Liberia) and list goes on...

 

[Susuviri]

Nyambala, Natty, Bongolander mlikuwa wapi wakuu? Kuna kipindi kulikuwa na debate nikajikuta the only reasonable person in this case nikijaribu kujenga hoja dhidi ya udhalimu, dhuluma na ubabe wa Mugabe! I think that the time has come for Africans to say enough! Tumwondee huyu babu asiendelee kuwaua wananchi wake!

 

[Natty Bongoman]

Nakusikia mkuu Susuviri. Pia nakuelewa, manake nimeshavamiwa kwingineko kwa sababu ya kutamka ukweli niuonavo... anyway, steady does it mkuu, and I would like to add to what you said the following ... it is time for Afrikans and Afrikan leaders to stop 'spinning' facts.

 

[Nyambala]

Nyambala, Natty, Bongolander mlikuwa wapi wakuu? Kuna kipindi kulikuwa na debate nikajikuta the only reasonable person in this case nikijaribu kujenga hoja dhidi ya udhalimu, dhuluma na ubabe wa Mugabe! I think that the time has come for Africans to say enough! Tumwondee huyu babu asiendelee kuwaua wananchi wake!

Unajua mkuu Susu tatizo naloliona kwa watu wengi kuhusu issue ya zimbabwe and especially in Tz they are still thinking of Mugabe yule wa 1980's. Some they are not even aware that the former wife (Sally a Ghanian) died and her place was taken by a 40 yrs younger drama queen Grace. Mugabe is now totally out of his mind........, To him it is just to die in power tht is wht he cares most!!!!!!!

 

[The Truth]

Why do you think Zimbabweans are not removing him by force?

Because Zimbabweans have low average IQ. They outnumber the government, they outnumber the military you name it but their low IQ is impeding their advancement. Had Zimbabweans been smarter, they would have done so by now. It is the same reason why hundreds of Bantu slaves were able to be controlled by a single slave White or Arab master. This must be painful to hear but it is truth. The master outsmarted the slaves. The same reason few colonials were able to conquer vast African land. IQ matters, intelligence matters no matter how you slice it or dice it.

 

[Kang]

Somehow all debates on JF seems to end up in some sort of childish shit throwing contest! I guess that's the power of the Internet.