It’s Fake News: RBZ story about new Bond Notes, and international card restrictions is fake

L.S.M Kabweza Avatar

A supposed ‘article’ about the introduction of new Bond Notes and new restrictions on international cards, that is going viral on social media today is fake. It’s especially going viral on WhatsApp and you may probably have received it already.

Techzim called RBZ to confirm the ‘fakeness’ of the story and indeed the people we spoke to there said they knew nothing about any new restrictions. (Update: The RBZ has issued a statement dismissing the fake news officially. Read it here.)

We were confirming the fakeness because really, even without asking anyone, it’s not hard to figure out that the story is fake. It’s surprising therefore that in a country priding itself on a high literacy rate (itself fake, turns out) such nonsense goes viral.

First, here is the fake news, then we quickly let you know why Techzim concluded this to be fake even before we contacted the RBZ:

BREAKING NEWS

RBZ TO INTRODUCE $10 , $20 & $50 BOND NOTES WITH EXPIRY DATES TO EASE CASH SHORTAGES FROM 15 MAY 2017

NO ZIMBABWEAN MASTERCARD , VISA CARD AND MAESTRO TO BE USED OUTSIDE THE COUNTRY WITHOUT THE APPROVAL OF RBZ WITH EFFECT FROM 15 MAY 2017
……GOVERNOR RAPS GOVERNMENT AGENCIES FOR NOT BANKING CASH ESPECIALLY THE POLICE

HARARE: Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe Governor Dr. John Mangudya has announced the introduction of higher denominated Bond Notes .

Speaking at a Press Conference this morning in Harare the Apex Bank Governor said Cash crisis is more than a crisis and needed a holistic approach from all stakeholders hence they are going to introduce Higher Denominated Bond Notes with Expiry dates and that all Local issued MasterCards , Visa Cards and Maestro are not going to function outside the country without the approval of the Apex Bank.

“We are in a Catch 22 situation here , many Government Agencies are not banking Cash especially the Police . I have to admit it here in the public Domain that Cash Crisis is more than a Crisis and needs a holistic approach. Some Government Agencies which collect revenue especially the ZRP are not banking money (sic)….” Fumed the Central Bank Governor

” With immediate effect no Foreign Card is going to be used without the approval of the RBZ , we are going to issue expiring Bond Notes in the Denominations of $10 , $20 and $50 respectively so as to ease the Cash Crisis especially to give money to the farmers who are now becoming restive after earning the country Foreign currency ” said Dr. Mangudya

More Details to Follow………

http:// www.herald.co.zw/Rbz/introduce/high/denominations/2017/05/08/

Why it’s fake, so we don’t obliviously continue spreading articles like these to our WhatsApp friends:

  • First, all 3 paragraphs are way too long and clearly written by someone who has challenges constructing English sentences. No editor, even at the local newspapers, would let such stuff through to publication.
  • It’s alarmist. Why would the RBZ want to alarm anyone? In fact, the fear from pessimists is that the RBZ would naturally try to make things look normal even when there’s reason for alarm.
  • The grammar and capitalisation of things are off. E.g. “…Apex Bank Governor said Cash crisis…”
  • That link to the Herald is fake, and you don’t have to click on it to see. The Herald website just doesn’t have links structured that way.

What’s actually worrying is why anyone would do this?

We have enough problems already with a government and central bank that many people don’t trust. We have enough problems having to read ‘official’ newspapers we can’t trust anymore. Why would any Zimbabwean want to cause further confusion?

Now read a true story: Electronic money now 70% of all payments in Zimbabwe… and other central bank updates

26 comments

  1. gus

    But there is no smoke without fire…give it time!

    1. L.S.M Kabweza

      Indeed. It doesn’t however make it any less fake today

  2. saleem ibrahim

    it seems the folks at techzim also have difficulty with the english language- please send the article for proof reading before publishing. a small thing like a spelling mistake kills your credibilty- especially to new users. how will you grow your subscriber base if you guys are publishing like kids hurrying to break time. see above : the passage that says- ” Techzim called RBZ to confirmed the ‘fakeness’ of the story and indeed the people we spoke to there said they new nothing about any new restrictions.” – its spelled ‘knew’….not ‘new’

    1. William Chui

      Thanks, have fixed

    2. L.S.M Kabweza

      yes, did rush to publish, and in the rush, put own credibility in question!
      Thanks a mil for looking out and saying out 😉

    3. Ndini

      And its spelt not spelled Saleem.

      1. L.S.M Kabweza

        Grammar police working full time today ??
        first Techzim polices some dude, then Saleem polices us, now guns are on Saleem

      2. Simboti

        Spelled and spelt can be used interchangeably. Check your dictionary, or google and see examples.

  3. Zvadhakwa

    I don’t exactly agree with this statement: “No editor, even at the local newspapers, would let such stuff through to publication.”

    Just go on the Herald and see just how much broken English is there everyday.

    1. L.S.M Kabweza

      To this extent though?? no. provide us a link to an example article with such a level of writing.

  4. Senator Tutu

    ???? mmm

  5. comrade zvichauya

    the guy who sent that is not wrong coz ZVICHANGOITIKA still….the only question we should have is WHEN the official message is coming out

  6. Joe

    Anything like that is possible in zim, it can only be fake if such never happens in the near future

    1. L.S.M Kabweza

      So if something can happen in the future, but hasn’t happened yet. And someone says it has happened, that someone is telling the truth?

    2. comrade zvichauya

      tthats the true true

  7. Imi Vanhu Musadaro

    There’s a lot of irony in verifying a story that was OBVIOUSLY fake.

  8. kodobi

    isinjonjo

  9. Agathamlingo

    why most people believe in fake nowadays is that whenever you hear some rumours being spread in no time the rumours becomes real….it might be lies for now since the source its a mystery itsself as I visited e website and found nothing but in our our country things have got their own way of leaking before being officialized

  10. Fake-person

    What we should be worried about more is a fake government printing a fake currency.

  11. jus my thot

    the only reason why a fake story goes viral is that there are no true stories at all. why should amatuer tech wat wat rush in defence.?! the rbz should just give us the original story. they are quite because they have no story to tell. so forgive us if we are to believe in fake stories its what comes through to us we can’t believe a true story that hasn’t been said. no offence but in the future learn to publish said stories not to come in defence of what is not also available. let our rbz do their job effectively and efficient

    1. L.S.M Kabweza
  12. Rambai _ Muchiseva Muzasimwecabbage mune nyama

    There is some truth in the news since some banks today, 9May were dispensing only 20 bond notes citing liquidity challenges in the market while the US $ has vanished from the same market with no improvement on cash availabity

  13. Anonymous

    Ummmm

  14. fake it all!

    yep, fake notes, fake stories, only tomorrow will you wake up and find what you thought was fake is now true the next day!

  15. Mako

    You now buys on grammar correction here yet thas not the subject of whole content. Nyaya iripano ndeye mari yenyika isipo. Nekubiwa kwema $ ari muvanhu. Bonds are just there for steeling your and my money

  16. mbuya oni

    OK BACK TO THE STORY… YIU CANT BLAME ZIMBABWEANS FOR BELIEVING ANY CRAZY THING LIKE JESUS WAS SEEN IN MALAWI, CRAZY THINGS HAPPEN IN THIS COUNTRY

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