Dzikamai Bere, the Zimbabwe Human Rights Association (ZimRights) director, has said the Government introduced the ZiG currency without thoroughly consulting ordinary people thereby undermining the Constitution.
Speaking during an interview with the Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition (CiZC), which shared the conversation with NewsDay, Bere said the government “ambushed” citizens with a new currency. He said:
A new currency is not a tsunami. You know, as a government, that you are going to introduce a new currency on this day, so you should begin a process of consulting the stakeholders.
You bring the law to Parliament, to allow Parliament to debate the law. Because sovereignty resides in the people, you do not ambush people with a new currency.
This is why the Constitution starts with the phrase “we, the people”, and establishes what we call the sovereignty of the people.
The ZiG, short for Zimbabwe Gold, was launched on 05 April 2024 and replaced the Zimbabwean dollar, which had lost 80% of its value this year.
The ZiG is the ZANU PF-led government’s sixth attempt to have a functioning local currency. It is backed by 2.5 tonnes of gold and about $100 million in foreign currency reserves held by the central bank.
Banknotes and coins of the ZiG were released at the end of last month to the public but they remain scarce, making the buying and selling of small items difficult.
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