Story by Peter Chivhima
GOVERNMENT measures to protect the public from illegal foreign currency dealers are bearing fruit with illicit traders deserting common street havens in Harare.
A survey carried out by ZBC News is Harare’s Central Business District this Monday shows that most of the street corners frequented by illegal foreign currency dealers have been abandoned.
Harare’s Road Port, Eastgate Mall as well as Corner Jason Moyo and Angwa Street are some of the hotpots that have been deserted.
“I want to thank the government for this positive stance against illegal money changers who were fleecing us of our hard earned cash. So we happy that these people are no longer in the streets,” said a Harare citizen.
“This is nice and we want to thank the leadership for coming up with such an idea because there is no country without its own currency. So we are seeing that the buying power of local ZiG has since improved,” noted another.
The Zimbabwe Republic Police has since declared war on economic saboteurs saying the arrest of scores of illegal foreign currency dealers after the launch of ZiG is only the beginning of a blitz to eradicate currency manipulators.
More than 200 suspected illegal foreign currency dealers have been arrested and the Zimbabwe Republic Police is working closely with the RBZ Financial Intelligence Unit to deal with the perpetrators.
