Cops quiz Shingi Munyeza over bond notes

Police on Friday questioned Evangelical Fellowship of Zimbabwe leader Shingi Munyeza over his comments about bond notes on social media.

Munyeza - a prominent businessman based in Harare - has been using social media such as Twitter to express his frustration over the deteriorating economic situation in the country.

He has issued three statements titled, 10 Points Plan to Run Zimbabwe Limited, What I would have done with $200 million facility and Severe Turbulence ahead.

The statements painted a gloomy picture of the Zimbabwean economic crisis that is manifesting itself through a serious cash crisis. The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe will introduce bond notes in October to deal with the crisis.

Munyeza confirmed that the detectives who questioned him for several hours wanted to know why he said the bond notes were infamous.

"Indeed, I was summoned to the ZRP Law and Order section by Assistant Commissioner [Chrispen] Makedenge on Friday where I initially had discussions for much of the day from 10:30am onwards," Munyeza said.

"I reiterated to them that I am a law-abiding citizen who is very concerned about the status of our economy, which requires urgent and immediate structural reforms to avoid further impoverishment of citizens of this country."

He added: "I also narrated my long history of commitment to working for the economic prosperity of this country through the various roles and capacities I have been involved in over the past 20 years.

"It would be amiss for people like me to be silent and not alert both government and fellow citizens of the predicament we are in if I had a vantage point of understanding the crisis."

Munyeza said church leaders had a responsibility to alert the vulnerable on any danger that awaited them.

"Among some of the questions they raised, they wanted to understand why I had referred to the bond notes as ‘infamous' and I reiterated to them that the generality of the public do not want these bond notes and I was only voicing the cry from the people," he said.

"There is need for government to build trust and confidence with the people, particularly where there are policy shifts and pronouncements. A total transformation of the economy is required to get out of this quagmire."

Munyeza added: "After understanding my position and my intention, they were satisfied and we had a progressive discussion further.

"I committed to them that I would continue on the same vein to give voice to the voiceless in a patriotic, responsible, factual and truthful manner."

Police spokesperson, Senior Assistant Commissioner Charity Charamba could not be reached for comment yesterday.

President Robert Mugabe's government is increasingly coming under pressure for alleged mismanagement and mis-governance, with several religious groups last week calling on the 92-year-old leader to retire to save the country from further collapse.

Mugabe last week claimed the bond notes would revive the economy.