Mthuli Ncube locks the stable after the horses have bolted out; now sees the need for ZiG Comms strategy

By Staff Writer

IN a self- fulfilling  prophecy to the proverbial phrase, locking the stable when the horses have already bolted out, Finance Minister Prof Mthuli Ncube has seen the importance of a communication strategy  on how the  (ZiG) currency will work.

The Zimbabwe Gold (ZiG) currency was introduced early this month following rapid depreciation of the ZWL currency which had lost over 73% of its value against the greenback.

Despite assurances by authorities to the effect that the new currency will serve the best interests of the economy, the poor communication around the new currency has   triggered visible public panic especially   in the country’s dominant informal economy where the bulk of the trade takes place.

Responding to a question fielded by Honorable Perseverance Zhou in  Parly this week who sought to know what Treasury’s plans are on the back of delivering a clear message on the ZiG to every citizen of the country, Ncube finally promised to come up with a communication roadmap  despite the fact that such a strategy was supposed to lead the entire process before throwing the nation into speculation.

“I now turn to Hon. Zhou wanted to really make sure we do not leave anyone behind when it comes to educating the public about this new currency. People in rural and urban areas must feel that they are receiving adequate information on how this new currency works.

“I want to assure Hon. Zhou that we are going to do everything to make sure that this is the case. Putting in place a blitz campaign between the Ministry of Finance, RBZ and Ministry of Information, this communication seeks to do that, which is to educate the public and give them the necessary information on how ZiG works,” he said.

The Treasury boss said as a Government, they would want this (ZiG) to be acceptable by making sure that citizens have the required confidence which can be built through proper communication.

He said he was recently suitably impressed seeing some video that was recorded which went viral explaining ZiG in very simple language in Shona.

“I thought this is exactly how we should be communicating to the public out there about the design of such a currency. It is that type of communication that we want to promote, especially in our rural folk to ensure that they gain the confidence in this new currency, understand how it works and they are not left behind,” added Ncube.