SHOULD we blame the bond coins or the motive behind the introduction of these coins?
ROSINA SHOKO OWN CORRESPONDENT
From our understanding, the coins were introduced to make easier the coin change issues, but to my surprise vendors, commuter omnibus conductors and many people are not taking these coins.
They are even naming them “boiled coins”, with some suspicious of the motive behind it, saying it is likely possible to lead to the introduction of paper notes which will be named “bond papers”.
Citizens are now confused and there is a very huge need to refresh them on the reason exactly why the bond coins were introduced since many will always justify their reasons of not accepting such coins.
Kombi conductors are saying that the coins are of no use to them if they cannot buy fuel or children’s “jiggies”, but can only be accepted in big supermarkets like TM and OK which after all they say they rarely visit.
Some shop owners are also not accepting these coins saying they cannot cross-change them to the rand when they go for their orders to South Africa.
This problematic issue is causing confusion in the whole country. In some parts of Zimbabwe like in rural areas, these coins never reached there.
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The rural population doesn’t even know what the bond coins look like. Most people are now reluctant to keep the coins for they fear that, like the bearers cheques, the money will be useless while they have loads and loads of coins in their houses and there will be no refunds.
I feel sorry for the not less than two-month-old coins that are already suffering from an identify crisis and total rejection. Some people are even mockingly asking if it is correct to call a collection or a group of coins that reaches five as five “bones” or “bondies”.
Or even to also put tags which read 5 bonds/R5 to show that they accept the money since they are using the price tags as a way of saying they do not accept Zim coins.
The same is happening with kombis where they say: “Five rand town, nothing more and nothing less!”
Something must be done to rescue these coins.
