Let me give you a simple example. Towards Christmas, we were told that there was a breakdown in the sugar industry or factory and we were told that we were going to have sugar shortages. As a result, sugar disappeared from supermarket shelves because there was hoarding. The price of sugar rose. The problem with the machinery was rectified.
We are now working on the $200 million bond notes and as a result, fear has been instilled in people. People are now withdrawing their money because they have no faith on the bond notes. According to them, they are saying they are afraid of losing their money. The bond note was talked about before it could be printed and introduced into the market. The appropriate thing was to support the $200 million bond note by the US dollar. The US dollar would be withheld by the banks, whilst the bond note is introduced bit by bit so that people would really benefit. Due to the fact that we put the cart before the horse, we now have a problem. People are withdrawing their money because they have no faith in the banking system.
There is another problem which is happening. Doctors now want to have these monies and they know that if they have cash, they can sell it and get 10% profit on the $100 obtained from his surgery. The money is being bought by car dealers. Private car dealers were told that they were not going to receive money to purchase small cars and people who can only receive money from the banks are those who buy buses and lorries. The person who is selling small cars is an indigenous person who is taking money and goes and re-invests it. This person will now collect his cash, go and open an account in Zambia or Mozambique. These people confide in us and say MP, do you know how I am surviving? I am illegally exporting money because it is easy to open an account in Zambia. There we have transactions easily, especially if you want to buy cars. As a result, we are creating criminals of innocent people in Zimbabwe. Our attitudes are really creating these criminals.
Recently, we went to Bulawayo to attend a meeting on the ease of doing business but, is it the ease of doing business when people are held at ransom? The problem is, you said people are not going to be given the money they worked for; you have garnished everything and this really touches me. Mr. Speaker, we are oppressing our people. The person who is oppressing the people is not a Member of Parliament but somebody who is outside the House; just an ordinary member who thinks of this idea, publishes it thus creating panic in the country.
As an MP, I have to bring this to the open because people are saying statements that are detrimental to the survival of the country and this is destroying the country. You have heard one of our Members of Parliament calling for the President to come and address this House on such a small issue which can be handled by the Minister. The people who are creating these ideas are very clever. I am ZANU PF but if I go and knock at the door of a Minister, I am told that he cannot see me because he has a visiting Minister from China or Europe. However, if a member of the Opposition visits that same Minister, he is given attention immediately. These Ministers are being given wrong advice and when they come here, they say this is bad. What is happening is that a member of the Opposition gave them wrong advice.
We clapped hands and applauded when Hon. Members said the Minister should resign. They even have the audacity to say the President should come and address us. We need to tell the truth and Ministers should know that when members of the Opposition are approaching them, they should tell them that they are busy because they are giving them wrong advice, which is destroying us.
Mr. Speaker, we need to urgently look at this rule which is limiting the amount of cash withdrawn from the banks. This is exactly what was happening during the Zimbabwe dollar era. My advice is, the people should be allowed to withdraw the amounts they want. What is happening is, people withdraw the money as it come and withhold it. Thank you.
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