It’s official, it’s fake: RBZ dismisses fake news in statement

L.S.M Kabweza Avatar
Central Bank, MPS 2022, Samora Machel Zimbabwe, Financial Services Zimbabwe, Stanbic Zimbabwe, Bank Branches

Earlier today, Techzim wrote an article dismissing some fake news that was circulating on WhatsApp, saying the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe is introducing new Bond Notes and had put further restrictions on international cards.

The RBZ has itself also now dismissed the fake news. In a statement we received from them on email, the central bank essentially dismisses the article as “ false, irresponsible, mischievous and malicious”.

Here’s the statement in full:

PRESS STATEMENT
ON FALSE AND MALICIOUS STATEMENTS BEING CIRCULATED ON SOCIAL MEDIA

The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (the “Bank”) wishes to advise members of the public of the false and malicious statements being circulated on social media regarding the introduction of $10, $20 and $50 bond notes, the prohibition of use of MasterCard, Visa Card and Maestro outside the country and the rapping of certain Government departments over failure to bank cash. These statements are false and should be treated with the contempt they deserve

The Bank dismisses the statements in their entirety as false, irresponsible, mischievous and malicious as neither the Governor nor any officer of the Bank has held any such press briefing or made the statements as alleged.

The statements are not only false but dangerous as they are calculated to cause unnecessary anxiety, panic, alarm and despondency within the economy. The statements are also calculated to discredit Government and the Bank’s progressive efforts to stabilise the economy and fuel chaos in the economy by targeting the sensitive financial sector.

The circulation of the false statements is abuse of social media by certain retrogressive, wayward and divisive elements who want to depict the economy in bad light through propagation of their shenanigans. This is quite unfortunate especially given that the economy is on a recovery trajectory which is supported by the good agricultural outturn and the rebound of the mining sector. The indiscipline and power of negativity which has crept in our economy should be converted and redirected to productive use for economic transformation.

The Bank dismisses the statements with the contempt that they deserve and advises the public to ignore them and transact as usual.

Dr J P Mangudya
Governor

9 May 2017

You can download the full statement here.

One response

  1. Llodza

    When a whole Central Bank resorts to defending social media “news” items it tells us something is not right at the Apex bank. Watch this space, we will be reading the same “fake”, “alarmist” news very soon from the denialists. This is Zimbabwe, a country and a half. Who ever thought the introduction of bond notes was going to be real?
    The Governor is better off thinking of how to solve the debilitating cash crisis than playing on social media denying what we all know he’s going to be implementing soon.

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