Source: Richard Chidza, NewsDay
SOCIAL movement Tajamuka/Sesijikile has demanded that the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) facilitates the installation of point-of-sale (POS) machines at tollgates dotted along the country’s highways, as the cash shortages persist.
In a letter to RBZ governor, John Mangudya this week, Tajamuka/Sesijikile, who met the central bank boss over the impending introduction of bond notes last week, said the Zimbabwe National Roads Administration’s (Zinara) continuous demand for motorists to pay cash at toll plazas was out of sync with reality.
“It has come to our attention that Zinara-operated tollgates nationwide insist that motorists pay cash for tolls despite the ongoing cash shortages. Please extend the same assistance to Zinara that you gave (wholesale giant) Mohamed Mussa by giving Zinara swipe machines,” the pressure group said.
Tajamuka/Sesijikile also demanded that Mangudya make a statement giving clarity on the use of plastic money.
“In the public interest, please make or cause to be issued a statement clarifying your position on the use of plastic money and please indulge the public by expressly highlighting that Zinara, like all other agencies of government, must support government’s position on plastic money.
“Allowing government agencies to demand cash from motorists when the government is preaching cash shortages is hypocritical,” the letter read.
In response, Mangudya was non-committal.
“Many thanks for bringing the matter to our attention,” he said.
Mangudya met Tajamuka/Sesijikile frontman, Promise Mkwananzi and other activists last week over the apex bank’s decision to introduce bond notes in response to crippling cash shortages that have forced citizens to sleep in queues outside banks in order to access money. The meeting seemingly ended in a stalemate, with the social pressure group demanding a referendum on the proposed “back-door currency introduction”.
“Thank you for agreeing to meet with us last week. We disagree with you on the issues discussed,” the letter read.
President Robert Mugabe resorted to using emergency powers in order to force through the introduction of bond notes. However, opposition Zimbabwe People First (ZimPF) leader and former Vice-President Joice Mujuru has approached the courts to have Mugabe reverse his decision, arguing the move was unconstitutional.
The government has also said it will soon roll out POS machines at police checkpoints in a bid to ease the burden on motorists caught on the wrong side of the law.
Source: Richard Chidza, NewsDay