Pastors, Kombi Drivers, Reject RBZ Bond Coins
28 December 2014
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A senior pastor from a Harare based charismatic church has rejected the recently introduced RBZ coins.
Senior Pastor Emmanuel Sitima of Boerea Assemblies in Kuwadzana extension speaking aside two three other men of the cloth, said people should only give what they esteem to be of value. “Why do you want to give what you know is not acceptable?” he said in a Saturday afternoon prayer meeting. He added,
“Just like these coins you know very well that they are not accepted in kombis so giving out something you do not value can be an insult to the one you are giving,” he said.
But the Kuwadzana Pastor added that: “if you find the smallest bond coin you give as an offering to be of heartfelt value, then you will be blessed, even though they are devoid of further use.”
Pastor Sitima’s words came as it emerged that kombis are rejecting the coins as useless. The Commuter Omnibus Operators Association has pleaded with its members to accept the new coins.
Cosmas Mbonjani, the Chairman of Greater Harare Association of Commuter Operators (GHACO) said his organisation supported the use of the special coins.
“There is no reason why our members should not accept the coins because we had a meeting with the RBZ boss who assured us that it was genuine money and that we should accept them,” said Mbonjani.
He, however, said the challenge was that some of the service providers like service stations were not accepting the coins.
He said his organisation had 400 members who had registered their vehicles and was made to understand that a majority of their members accepted the coins.
RBZ unveiled a new set of bonded coins worth $10 million, which started circulating on December 18.
The special coins in denominations of 1c, 5c, 10c and 20c are part of a five-year $50 million bond that government has secured to give them value. Mangudya said the introduction of the bond coins on the local market was part of efforts to ease the shortage of change, but allayed fears that they were clandestinely bringing back the Zimbabwe dollar. “The economics of the bond coins is that they are being introduced to buttress the multiple currency system through the provision of change especially for the US dollar notes which have a smallest denomination in circulation in Zimbabwe of $1,” he said.
Mangudya added that the RBZ was, therefore, addressing the divisibility and store of value qualities of money through the initiative, which has already received significant support from the Consumer Council of Zimbabwe, business organisations and financial institutions.
“The bond coins will be at par with the US cents, that is trading one for one with US cents,” he said.
He also stated that the new bond coins’ circulation will be limited to Zimbabwe.
The country ditched its local currency in favour of foreign currencies in 2009 after hyper-inflation reached 500 billion percent.
Zimbabwe mainly uses the United States dollar and South African rand for transactions but businesses usually round-off prices and give consumers vouchers or sweets as change because the country lacks coins.
The 50c bond coin will be introduced in March next year.
Mangudya ruled out the return of the local currency saying that it would be “careless” and economic “suicide” as there were inadequate reserves to anchor it and that the country had foreign currency reserves that could only last up to three months.
(Daily News/Additional Reporting)

4 Replies to “Pastors, Kombi Drivers, Reject RBZ Bond Coins”

  1. But the Kuwadzana Pastor added that: “if you find the smallest bond coin you give as an offering to be of heartfelt value, then you will be blessed, even though they are devoid of further use.” -…. Zimeye, don’tyou think you have deliberately misquoted Pastor Sitima? His statement is quite clear and loud that people should give the coins from deep down their hearts and value them for blessings to go their way. One can’t take a useless coin and dispose of at church but if its a valued possession then yes, part with it as an offering. Pastor Sitima has not refused the coins.

  2. I do agree with combi operators, They are on the receiving end anyone who don’t like them throws them to them.At the end of the shift they end up with three of four bags of these coins and more at the end of the month, salaries and other bills needs to be paid who is going to accept his salary in coins. Or the unpredictable Government will just wake up with other ideas sometimes people we have short memories .

  3. I do agree with combi operators, They are on the receiving end anyone who don’t like them throws them to them.At the end of the shift they end up with three of four bags of these coins and more at the end of the month, salaries and other bills needs to be paid who is going to accept his salary in coins. Or the unpredictable Government will just wake up with other ideas sometimes people we have short memories .

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