Illegal forex dealers are beginning to trickle back into
central Harare, despite roadblocks designed to check on motorists and on
passengers in Zupco buses, with both groups required to prove they are in
essential services.
National police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul
Nyathi recently warned the illegal money changers saying police would descend
on them.
“Police urge members of the public to receive their money
from authorised dealers and then go to the shops, which have been authorised to
transact in both local and foreign currency, to buy basic commodities or access
medication from pharmacies,” he said.
“There is no need, therefore, for people to engage illegal
foreign currency dealers while in the process exposing themselves to the Covid-19
pandemic. The ZRP will arrest all illegal foreign currency dealers who are
committing such criminal acts, while at the same time disregarding the
Government’s Covid-19 lockdown measures.”
Investigations by The Herald revealed that the illegal
dealers target people who collect their forex from Mukuru and World Remit after
these services were restored three days a ago to help Zimbabweans reliant on
transfers from the Diaspora.
One of the money changers, who spoke to The Herald crew
posing as potential clients, revealed how they evade the police on their way
into the city centre.
“My friend, it is not easy to be operating from the city
centre, but it is harder to do business at home so we are left with no choice
but to sneak our way into the CBD and evade the security check points since we
do not have passes or letters, which state that we offer essential services,”
he said.
“At times we leave our vehicles outside the city centre and
complete the journey into the CBD on foot. It is actually safer that way, as we
have to make sure that the security services, particularly soldiers, do not see
us since these do not compromise at all.”
His colleague added that they only came into the city
centre during the week as more people would be receiving their remittances from either Mukuru or World Remit.
“Those are our customers and we offer them a good rate,” he
said. “Some of them are our regulars now so as soon as they withdraw their
forex, they come to us.
“We have to be in the city centre to make good profits.
There is competition in the suburbs and we are at an advantage if we do our
business in the CBD.”
One of the people who had just received her foreign
currency from Mukuru along Sam Nujoma Street confirmed that she regularly does
business with illegal money changers.
“I always go to money changers to convert my foreign
currency into local currency and will do the same today,” she said.
The Herald visited Copacabana bus terminus where some
illegal money changers were conducting business, but discreetly.
The Herald approached one of them pretending to be seeking
local currency from US$10.
“If you want to change US$10, I will have to transfer $410
into your EcoCash wallet and if you need cash then you will get $350,” said the
money changer. Herald
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