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RBZ boss warns big firms ‘manipulating exchange rate’

Published

4 years ago

September 7, 2021

Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) governor John Mangudya has urged large corporates to stop “manipulating the exchange rate” by exploiting the gap between the parallel-market and official currency prices for profiteering.

The governor expressed concern that companies are snapping up more foreign currency than they are allowed to through the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe’s auction system, then selling it on at inflated prices.

“They are manipulating the auction system through arbitrage behaviour.

“Some of them are coming to the auction with more than 50 surrogate entities and we have picked that up,” Mangudya said in an interview Monday.

“They come to the auction and they are allocated the foreign currency at $86 (for one United States dollar) but they offload it at $140 on the parallel rate,” he said.

Under the auction rules, primary producers are allowed to bid for as much as US$500,000 during the weekly auction while secondary producers can bid for a maximum of us$100,000.

Mangudya said the entities are also pricing their goods and services using the parallel rates, despite having accessed the dollars at the auction system.

“At the end of the day, it’s the consumer who will be forced to pay more and that is simply not fair,” he said.

Zimbabwe’s central bank last year abandoned a currency peg and set up a weekly auction to ease a severe United States dollar crunch that forced companies to turn to the parallel market for foreign currency. Since then, officials have regularly raised concern over the abuse of the auction system.

President Emmerson Mnangagwa has previously issued warnings to private companies he blames for undermining his efforts to turn around an economy plagued by annual inflation of 50% and foreign-currency shortages.

In May, he published penalties for companies and individuals for currency manipulation that include fines of $1million (US$11,620) as well as a “total ban” from the auction. – Bloomberg

In the community

Hwange police seek public’s help in locating missing teen

Published

1 week ago

May 15, 2025

VicFallsLive

BY STAFF REPORTER

The Hwange police are urgently seeking the public’s assistance in locating 16-year-old Latoya Lisa Munkuli, who went missing on May 7, this month.

Latoya, a dark-complexioned female juvenile, was last seen leaving her residence in Hwange around 4 pm.

She was wearing a distinctive outfit consisting of green trousers and a white T-shirt, and carried a black satchel. She stands approximately 1.6 meters tall.

Inspector Glory Banda of the Hwange police is leading the investigation and urges anyone with information about Latoya’s whereabouts to come forward.

If you have any information about Latoya’s disappearance, please contact Inspector Banda on 0785961747 or 0771256607.

National

Coal train in flames: NRZ locomotive damaged in fire incident

Published

1 month ago

April 16, 2025

VicFallsLive

BY WANDILE TSHUMA

A National Railways of Zimbabwe (NRZ) locomotive suffered significant damage after catching fire while transporting export coal to Zambi. The incident occurred between Kalala and Matetsi sidings, resulting in the explosion of the locomotive’s fuel tanks.

According to the NRZ press statement on Monday, “A National Railways of Zimbabwe locomotive suffered some damages after it caught fire this afternoon while transporting export coal to Zambia.” Fortunately, the crew members on board managed to escape unharmed.

The NRZ responded swiftly to the incident, dispatching a rescue train with crews to the site. The team successfully extinguished the fire, preventing further damage. However, the locomotive itself sustained considerable damage.

The cause of the fire is yet to be determined, with investigations currently underway. “Investigations are already underway to establish the cause of the fire and the amount of damage to the locomotive,” the NRZ statement read.

In the community

Human-wildlife conflict claims 18 lives in Zimbabwe’s first quarter

Published

1 month ago

April 16, 2025

VicFallsLive

BY NOKUTHABA DLAMINI

The Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (ZimParks) has reported a disturbing trend of human-wildlife conflict in the country’s first quarter of 2025. According to the authority, 18 people have lost their lives, and 32 others have been injured in encounters with wildlife.

ZimParks spokesperson Tinashe Farawo revealed that the authority received 579 cases of human-wildlife conflict, which they managed to respond to promptly. The incidents have also resulted in significant livestock losses, with at least 53 cattle and 85 goats killed by wildlife.

The districts most affected by these incidents include Binga, Hwange, Kariba, Chiredzi, Hurungwe, Nyaminyami, and Mbire. ZimParks has been working tirelessly to raise awareness about wildlife behaviors and effective preventive measures in these areas.

In response to the crisis, ZimParks has translocated 129 animals back into protected areas and eliminated 158 animals deemed problematic.

“We encourage communities to continue reporting incidents to ZimParks Problem Animal Control numbers and local leadership, such as Councillors, Traditional Leaders, and Rural District Council Authorities, to ensure that we preserve lives,” Farawo urged.

The significant increase in livestock losses, with cattle deaths rising from 18 to 53 and goat deaths from 21 to 85 compared to the same period in 2024, highlights the growing challenge of human-wildlife conflict in Zimbabwe.

ZimParks’ efforts to mitigate the conflict include community initiatives to educate people on managing wildlife encounters effectively.