Emptiness is MDC-T's bond-age!

So much has been said about the proposed introduction of bond notes by the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe. A fortnight ago, RBZ chief John Mangudya announced that the central bank would inject more bond currency into the economy, this time in notes, following a facility availed by the Afreximbank.

This is not the first time, by the way.

We are already using bond coins – all smoothly – after they went off to a bad start due to confusion some of which was cultivated by some political quarters.

But then the coins gained currency and today they are as acceptable as ever.

If the process that allowed their gaining currency is let be, there should never be a problem with the introduction of notes or higher denomination.

In fact, logic demands to see this process taking place.

Not least, the higher denominations are not being plucked from thin air.

They are as solid as the current ones because of the bank facility that backs them up.

Yet things do not move without madness in Zimbabwe.

And that madness in a large part stems from the opposition outfit by the name of MDC- Tsvangirai.

We are aware of, and alive to, the fact that people in Zimbabwe, having undergone the long and hard nightmare of sanctions-induced hardships circa 2008, are a traumatised lot.

They saw all their savings being wiped out due to hyperinflation while all other transactions got as meaningless as confounding.

The Zim dollar became the symbol of suffering as the national currency lost value beyond measure and comprehension.

It is a miracle that Zimbabwe survived and one day this could be an interesting subject for academia.

Perhaps the greatest value that Zimbabwe retained then was the resilience of its people.

There is today a palpable feeling that because Zimbabwe sunk so low during that period, it can only rise.

It is largely true.

Many people of goodwill think so.

Those who think otherwise and pray otherwise, actually, are there, too.

It is a natural human instinct to be pessimistic: it must have been Thomas Hardy who told us that if a way to the better be, it is to expect the worst in life.

But there are also scaremongers in our midst who tend to thrive on negativity.

Negative shadows

An interesting development that occurred in the past few days is that Tsvangirai summoned his "shadow cabinet" and planned to stage a public demonstration against the introduction of bond notes.

According to the MDC-T: "The printing of bond notes will be the death knell to this economy.

"Zimbabweans have walked this road before. They have not forgotten the dark days when they were poor quintillionnaires…"

He added: "Ordinary Zimbabweans lost their savings, pensioners lost their lifetime savings and companies and other institutions were shortchanged as the economy tumbled until the MDC-T presence in an inclusive Government brought stability and unprecedented economic annual growth figures, which peaked at 12 percent in 2012. One cannot mask illegitimacy under the veil of bond notes that are essentially a sanitised version of ordinary bond paper or newsprint."

Promising: "The MDC is preparing a robust response to this madness and the party reserves its right to mobilise the people against this ill-advised decision which is certainly not backed by economic logic."

These are all fine, scary words.

The irony of it is that the argument of the MDC-T is anything but economic.

A lot of ink has already been expended on the issue – the viability and desirability; and otherwise – of the bond notes.

Even some people like Tawanda Nyambirai, who could be taken to lean towards the opposition, have helped us debunk the phenomenon and by and large the bond currency is acceptable.

Whatever MDC-T's pronouncements and whatever actions the party resolved to partake are purely political.

It was a meeting of negative political shadows.

They seek to scare people using the bogey of 2008.

What they do not tell people is that conditions then and now are different insofar as the printing regime is concerned, not least that at the former time some political forces outside Zimbabwe were smelling more blood ahead of the election of 2008 than they are now, or have the appetite to pursue.

And any honest person will see that Dr Mangudya is not another Dr Gideon Gono.

There are various other factors that essentially point to the fact that we cannot sink lower than we are and less so in 2008.

Let them be

But we are disturbed by the indication of Home Affairs Minister Ignatius Chombo that he is ready to stop any march that the MDC-T could muster against the introduction of the bond notes.

That is being unreasonable, impolitic and unstrategic.

The MDC-T is desperate to be seen to be doing something, especially to please its donor paymasters.

It might be well for them but the ultimate factor will be whether they will be able to gather the numbers that impress.

The fact of the matter is that they will not.

After recent rallies in Harare regarding the so-called disappearance of an Itai Dzamara and the "Missing $15bn" march, they are fast running out of issues to attract people.

Its ideological and strategic emptiness is its bondage – forgive the pun.

The law of diminishing returns is taking its toll and we can bet the precious bottom dollar that if the party were to hold the anti-bond notes rally tomorrow it would attract only a handful of people.

This is because people know better and actually have better pursuits and endeavours to undertake at this time.

The MDC-T will be embarrassed.

Let them be.

And if someone were to appear to be against this not so bright idea to the extent of barring a demonstration, political as it is; and as constitutional as it is, it would rejuvenate the moribund party.

That will be an own goal for Dr Chombo and his ruling party.

Now the MDC-T is rubbing its hands in glee that an extra political stratum is to be mined from its scaremongering and facile tactics!

Why grant them that?

Think again, Dr Chombo.