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Zimbabwe’s forex black market crackdown shakes banks

Published

4 years ago

October 15, 2021

BY MEMORY MATARANYIKA

Zimbabwean bankers are fretting over compliance with government directives to root out “illegal foreign currency dealings, with the country’s biggest bank, CBZ, cautioning its employees against facilitating such deals as well as instructing them to report all suspicious accounts and transactions.

This follows a meeting of the central bank and business leaders, including representatives for banks, on Monday.

Sources who attended Monday’s meeting said the governor blamed the banks for not reporting suspicious transactions.

Said a finance manager at a foreign-owned finance institution: “We are under pressure as an industry to do something.

“The governor and other government officials are already exerting pressure on the industry to play a role in shielding the local currency and to protect the official foreign exchange market and that’s why banks have started to issue these cautions to employees.”

CBZ Bank group chief compliance officer Matthew Manyati and managing director Peter Zimunya said in a October 12circular to all departments that staff members were being “advised to desist from participating in illegal foreign currency transactions, either on behalf of clients or for their own personal” benefit.

“Disciplinary action shall be taken against any staff member, who breaches the contents of this instruction circular, hence staff members are encouraged to use the legally designated channels to access foreign currency,” further reads the circular.

The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) and the Financial Intelligence Unit had “cited great concern on the number of CBZ clients who are advertising parallel foreign currency transactions on different social media platforms”, highlighting that this in turn was “fuelling exchange rate distortions”.

CBZ has thus instructed its workers to “identify any persons advertising parallel foreign currency transactions using the CBZ name” on social media.

The RBZ – which has already blacklisted 77 individuals for money laundering – charges that some bank clients are openly advertising illegal parallel market forex rates on social media platforms quoting specific bank platforms.

This, authorities in Harare argue, has resulted in price increases and a widening of the gap between official and unofficial forex rates.

The Zimbabwean dollar was on Wednesday trading around 1:175 against the US dollar on the parallel market compared to 1:90 on the official auction market, which has been sluggish.

In a communique released after the meeting on Monday, the central bank said the Zimbabwean bankers had committed to “enhancing reporting of suspicious transactions” as well as “promptly implementing regulatory directives on freezing of bank accounts for participants in illicit foreign currency transactions”.

The FIU has separately directed local banks to institute monitoring measures aimed at rooting out bank accounts and debit cards that are being used for foreign currency dealings.

“Banks should implement a robust automated transaction monitoring mechanism to identify debit cards and the linked bank accounts that are being used frequently and in a pattern that raises suspicion.

“Banks must carry out further analysis to establish the source of funding into the accounts,” the FIU said in a notice to banks. – News24

In the community

Tsholotsho man jailed for threats of violence and assault

Published

18 hours ago

November 25, 2025

VicFallsLive

BY NOKUTHABA DLAMINI

A 43-year-old Tsholotsho man, Ezekiel Ndlovu, has been convicted on two counts of threatening violence and one count of assault after a series of violent incidents at a local homestead earlier this month.

According to the National Prosecuting Authority, the offences occurred on the 10th 10 and 15 November, at Soluswe line. During a misunderstanding while socializing, Ndlovu reportedly threatened to kill a male victim using an axe. Five days later, he allegedly returned to the same homestead and again issued threats — this time targeting the owner of the property.

In a separate incident at the same gathering, Ndlovu struck another man on the left leg with an iron bar, causing bodily harm.

He was sentenced to 12 months in jail after being convicted at the Tsholotsho Magistrates’ Court.

National

Zimbabwe fast-tracks approval of long-acting HIV prevention drug Lenacapavir

Published

18 hours ago

November 25, 2025

VicFallsLive

BY WANDILE TSHUMA

Zimbabwe has taken a major step in the fight against HIV following the rapid approval of Lenacapavir, a groundbreaking long-acting injectable for HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). The Medicines Control Authority of Zimbabwe (MCAZ) authorised the drug in just 23 days, marking one of the fastest regulatory approvals in the country’s history.

The application, submitted by pharmaceutical company Gilead Sciences in October, underwent an expedited review because of its public health importance. MCAZ says the fast-tracked process did not compromise scientific scrutiny, with the product subjected to a rigorous assessment of its safety, efficacy and quality.

Lenacapavir is designed for adults and adolescents weighing at least 35kg who are HIV-negative but at substantial risk of infection. Unlike traditional daily oral PrEP, the medicine is administered as a six-monthly injection, following an initiation phase that includes one injection and oral tablets on Days 1 and 2. Health authorities say this long-acting formulation could dramatically improve adherence and expand prevention options, particularly for communities where daily pill-taking is difficult.

MCAZ Director-General Richard T. Rukwata described the approval as a landmark moment in Zimbabwe’s HIV response.

“The rapid approval of Lenacapavir reflects MCAZ’s dedication to accelerating access to trusted, high-quality health products. This milestone brings new hope for HIV prevention and reinforces our commitment to safeguarding public health,” he said.

To fast-track the process, the Authority applied a regulatory reliance approach, drawing on scientific assessments from the World Health Organization’s Prequalification Programme (WHO PQ). This allowed evaluators to build on internationally recognised review processes while ensuring Zimbabwe’s own standards were met.

The introduction of Lenacapavir comes as Zimbabwe continues efforts to reduce new HIV infections, particularly among young people and key populations who face barriers to consistent PrEP use. Public health experts say the drug’s twice-yearly dosing could be a game changer in improving uptake and protection.

MCAZ says it remains committed to ensuring Zimbabweans have access to safe, effective and good-quality medical products, in line with its mandate under the Medicines and Allied Substances Control Act.

National

Zimbabwe makes gains against TB

Published

5 days ago

November 21, 2025

VicFallsLive

BY WANDILE TSHUMA

The World Health Organization (WHO) data show that Zimbabwe continues to make measurable gains in its fight against tuberculosis (TB).

According to the Global Tuberculosis Report 2025, Zimbabwe’s estimated TB incidence has declined to 203 per 100,000 population, representing a 3.8 % reduction from 2023. The report states that “TB incidence in Zimbabwe has fallen to 203 per 100 000, a 3.8 % reduction from 2023.”

On treatment outcomes, the country’s overall success rate for all forms of TB has improved to 91 %, up from 89 % in 2023. The report quotes: “Treatment success for all forms of TB has improved to 91 %, up from 89 % in 2023.”

For drug-resistant TB (DR-TB), progress has also been recorded: treatment success rose from 64 % for the 2021 cohort to 68 % for the 2022 cohort. As the report notes: “treatment success for drug-resistant TB increased from 64 % for the 2021 cohort to 68 % for the 2022 cohort.”

In the critical sphere of TB‐HIV co-infection, Zimbabwe saw a drop in the co‐infection rate to 49 %, down from 51 %. The report states: “TB/HIV co-infection rates have fallen to 49 %, down from 51 %.”

Zooming out, the 2025 global report shows that across the world TB is falling again, although not yet at the pace required to meet targets. Globally, incidence declined by almost 2 % between 2023 and 2024, and deaths fell around 3 %.

However, the report warns that progress is fragile. Funding shortfalls, health-system disruptions (especially during the COVID-19 era), and the ongoing challenge of drug-resistant TB threaten to erode gains. The WHO page reminds that the 2025 edition “provides a comprehensive … assessment of the TB epidemic … at global, regional and country levels.”

For example, although more people are being diagnosed and treated than in previous years, not enough are being reached with preventive interventions, and many countries are still far from the targets set under the End TB Strategy.