Why ZANU-PF wants Zimdollar back

Zimmetro — Recently, the nation awoke to the news that one of the resolutions made at a political party’s conference was to reintroduce the Zimdollar. Most Zimbabweans were shocked by the news as nasty memories of the Zimdollar were still fresh in their minds. There could be several reasons why ZANU-PF is making such a strange resolution with the blessing of “your” governor, Gideon Gono. For ZANU-PF, the continued use of foreign currency is seriously impeding its political “benevolence” to supporters. The party was used to doling out money to followers through various programmes, which had a nationalist outlook on paper but were exclusive in implementation.

Most people can remember the subsidized seeds and fuel, farming equipment and free food. This was made possible by the party’s influence in state spending, which was readily bankrolled by the central bank.

It is not a secret that during the hyperinflation, the party was well financed and it was visible in every part of the country courtesy of the printing of the Zimdollar by the central bank. During this period, most Zimbabweans literally ate from the governor’s hands and this strengthened ZANU-PF’s position from a general political view as it gained a “saviour” status.

Hyperinflation created an exclusive economy where the political heavies, particularly in ZANU-PF, amassed obscene wealth which divided the nation into distinct groups; that of the very rich and the very poor. Naturally, some people are missing that period.

Secondly, I think that ZANU-PF is not sure how the international community will react to its likely “victory” in the next election. The international community, particularly the West, might order the government to immediately stop using their currencies, if they perceive the election process as flawed due to violence and intimidation. Therefore, having the Zimdollar ready in place will be handy to avoid chaos in the country.

Thirdly, ZANU-PF is interested in the Zimdollar after their perceived election “victory” probably because they need to quickly deliver on the claims that the GNU government was not good for Zimbabwe. Obviously when ZANU-PF gets back into power, they would also want to swiftly calm the civil service.

They would want to continue to spoil traditional chiefs, party youths and their women in the Women’s League of their party and to finally show their power by giving the war collaborators and ex-political prisoners hefty packages for their efforts in the liberation war.

So where does this resolution of the reintroduction of the Zimdollar leave the ordinary Zimbabweans? If this resolution comes to pass, we will all be driven into a bottomless pit of poverty and the more we will be crying, the more we will be told that we should not hate the revolutionary party, because our “dictrators” are to blame.

Re-introducing the Zimdollar

Should be shelved until such a time those economic fundamentals are pointing to the unavoidable need of our own currency. To reintroduce it any time soon, will be like expecting fruits from a dead tree.

Advertisements