Permanent secretary in the Ministry of Information, Ndavaningi Mangwana, has sensationally claimed that there is high demand for the Zimbabwe dollar than United States dollars from local banks.
Mangwana observed that the fact that some citizens buy the local currency from the black market and dark alleys, is enough proof that the Zimbabwe dollar is more popular. Writing on Twitter, he claimed:
The theory that the ZWL is not a popular currency is debunked by the fact that it’s so much on demand that some are prepared to buy it on the black market and in dark alleys. It’s easier to get forex from your bank than our much sought after ZWL.
Mangwana’s claims are difficult to sustain considering that many people in urban and rural areas prefer the greenback as a medium of exchange with some landlords demanding foreign currency from their tenants.
Moreover, large retail outlets that have been “forced” to de-dollarize peg their prices in local currency using the black market rates so that they can buy foreign currency for them to replenish their stocks.