ONE of the most frequently quoted verses in the Bible is “the truth shall set you free.” This phrase is even used in academic circles to support academic freedom and the value of learning.
According to Merriam Webster, an American reference book publisher, truth can refer to the actuality of things or events, fact, or spiritual reality.
It can also refer to sincerity in action or character. The opposite of truth is lies. Truth, regardless of perspective, bears the fruits of trust, while lies bear the fruits of mistrust.
The reason we are talking about the truth today is that, in Zimbabwe, certain government officials and institutions have a history of lying to the public and seem to enjoy it.
In 2016, for example, the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe boldly announced that bond notes were backed by a US$200 million Afreximbank facility.
But eight years later, it is shockingly revealed that the local currency had no backing, indicating that the central bank had “lied” to the country. It appears that the officials at the institution were not totally truthful, forgetting that lies have short legs.
Thanks to John Mushayavanhu, the newly appointed governor of the apex bank, who revealed that the Zimbabwe dollar and bond notes lacked foreign currency support during their term. The truth is now known.
Why did the RBZ and the government deceive the country? Lies breed distrust. We are now being asked by the monetary and fiscal authorities to believe that the recently launched Zimbabwe Gold (ZiG) is supported by a basket of minerals, including gold.
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How can we put our trust in them? Yes, it would be great if we could trust them, but it is not easy. And they cannot fault us. We implore institutions and officials of the government to always tell the truth about anything.
This will support the future development of our nation. A country founded on falsehoods will not stand strong. That is something that government officials ought to be aware of.
It is our genuine wish that Mushayavanhu is not deceiving the country into believing that ZiG is supported by a variety of minerals. If not, the public will never again have faith in anything issued by the central bank.
His message to the management and staff of the central bank, in which he emphasised the necessity of both personal change and the creation of a new “RBZ brand” in order to regain credibility and relevance, gave us hope.
He admitted that over time, the market had become less confident in the central bank's ability to implement sound policies and that this called for a targeted realignment and modification of their current operations in order to fulfil their legal obligations.
We find it distressing that he must now regain the confidence and trust that were damaged by others through lies.
Over to you Mr Governor. The truth shall set you free.
