ZIMBABWE ' S MONEY RUNS OUT nai, 40, outside a CABS building society branch in Harare. Every month, it takes him at least seven nights of queuing to get his hands on his pay. In Harare, where most U. S. dollar bills are stained deep brown with grime, a crisp 2009-edition $ 100 note is now worth as much as $ 115. Conversely, the plastic and mobile money introduced to ease physical cash shortages is depreciating, forcing vendors to charge a 10-15 percent premium.
One prostitute, who had been relying on e-wallet payment systems such as Ecocash, run by mobile firm Econet Wireless, said she and other sex workers were turning away customers without hard cash. " Ecocash? No thank you. Dollars, dollars, dollars," said Patience, a 22-year-old working a Harare street corner. " No dollars, no fun."
Army rationed Combined with unemployment at 90 percent and a government budget crunch that has seen delays in payment of state wages, the discontent is also pervading the army. The Sept. 29 CIO report said soldiers had applauded the social media protests because they had led to an improvement in daily rations.
" Before the demonstrations government had stopped supplying them with breakfast. At lunch they were being fed with sadza( maize meal) and cabbage without cooking oil. Mugabe instructed for the army officers to be given descent meals so they will rally behind him," the report said. Other intelligence reports from late September and early October suggested Mugabe was having doubts about the bond notes. Reuters was unable to confirm this.
" The issue of the bond notes is giving Mugabe sleepless nights," one said. " Mugabe is serious thinking of delaying the introduction of the bond until January next year." Another report said army officers were frustrated with pay delays and withdrawal limits." They are very angry as they are failing to access their money from the banks and do not want to be issued with bonds," it said. " These junior and middle-ranked officers reckon that Mugabe has failed, hence he needs to step down for new blood to replace him."
Zimbabweans queue to withdraw cash from a local bank in the capital Harare, Zimbabwe November 2, 2016. REUTERS / Philimon Bulawayo
THE ISSUE OF THE BOND NOTES IS GIVING MUGABE SLEEPLESS NIGHTS MUGABE IS SERIOUS [ SIC ] THINKING OF DELAYING THE INTRODUCTION OF THE BOND
Veterans At War
In July, veterans of the 1964-1979 liberation war that brought Mugabe to power broke ranks, accusing him of " dictatorial tendencies " and blaming him for the " serious plight " of the economy and discord in the ruling ZANU-PF party.
" We are dedicated to stop this rot," they said in a statement. As fears over the bond notes have grown and the battle to succeed Mugabe has intensified, they have continued to flex their muscle." Once you go wrong with us, you automatically go wrong with the whole state apparatus," veterans leader Chris Mutsvangwa told Reuters. The veterans enjoy warm ties with the army and security services, and want Vice-President Emmerson Mnangagwa, a former security chief nicknamed " The Crocodile ", to take over from Mugabe, political analysts say. On the other side is a faction attached to Mugabe ' s
51-year-old wife, Grace.
Mugabe responded to the growing pressure on Nov. 19 with an address in which he admitted fallibility and gave a rare hint at retirement. " If I am making mistakes, you should tell me. I will go," he said, before adding: " Change should come in a proper way. If I have to retire, let me retire properly."- Rtrs
2016 | Business Times Africa 43