Schools in Zimbabwe open for the 2024 second term on 07 May, amid reports that some schools, both private and public, are rejecting the local currency, Zimbabwe Gold (ZiG), and insisting that parents and guardians pay all fees and levies exclusively in US dollars.
The Government’s Chief Spokesperson, Ndavaningi “Nick” Mangwana, said Zimbabwe has a multi-currency regime, therefore parents should not be blackmailed to pay fees in only one currency. He wrote on X:
They should insist on paying fees in the currency of their choice. The law is on their side. They can call on the FIU or the Consumer Council of Zimbabwe to intervene.
In response to Mangwana, award-winning journalist and anti-corruption activist, Hopewell Chin’ono said the Government should lead by example by accepting ZiG for vehicle number plates, passports, customs duties, and fuel.
He said schools, like other service providers, have to buy fuel which is exclusively sold in forex which banks cannot provide. Below is Chin’ono’s detailed response to Mangwana:
Dear @nickmangwana, I hope this finds you well. Your statement is misplaced, and I will explain why.
If a school has a bus that uses fuel to move around, that school requires diesel, which can only be bought in US Dollars at fuel stations like ZUVA.
If the parents insist on paying with ZiG, how will the school buy diesel when banks don’t have the US Dollars to sell to schools or individuals?
You see, @nickmangwana, this is how dysfunctional the economy has become, you are forcing people to do what is impossible!
Declare that the ZiG is now and should be acceptable for any transaction, including services provided by your government like number plates, passports, customs duties, and of course, fuel. Once you do that, all these problems will go away, @nickmangwana.
As the Chief spokesman of Mnangagwa’s government, you must communicate things that are logical and practical.
How can it be logical and practical for a government to force schools to accept a currency that the same government is not accepting for goods and services it provides?
How can it be logical to force schools to accept a currency in which businesses in which the president and central bank governor have an interest are refusing to accept the local currency?
I hope you have read Animal Farm, @nickmangwana; that is where we are with your government. Do you want ordinary citizens to accept that they are lesser beings than the political elites who are rejecting the ZiG that they introduced?
I want to end by saying this to you,@nickmangwana: As long as the government and businesses owned by political elites reject their currency, the ZiG will fail, and it will do so spectacularly.
Please let the schools do what they have to do @nickmangwana, don’t force them to do economically stupid things.
They have kids to feed throughout the term, and forcing them to take a currency that has lost 36% of its value on the black market within 14 days is ridiculous!
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