Below are some images from Harare Central Business District where citizens have started accessing the new currency Zimbabwean Gold (ZIG) notes and coins.

Banks on Tuesday were issuing coins and ZIG10 notes only.

Pictures by Thandiwe Garusa

Bloomberg

Zimbabwe’s central bank kept its benchmark interest rate unchanged at its first policy meeting since unveiling the gold-backed currency, the ZiG.

Governor John Mushayavanhu said in a statement that the monetary policy committee had held the rate at 20% after receiving positive market reaction to the new currency.

According to Mushayavanhu, the MPC expects currency reforms to help provide “stability, certainty and predictability in the exchange rate and inflation”.

RELATED

The MPC also set the interest rate corridor at between 11% to 25%, Mushayavanhu said.

The southern African nation introduced ZiG, short for Zimbabwe Gold on 5 April. The currency is backed by 2.5 tons of gold and $100 million in foreign currency reserves held by the central bank. On the same day, the central bank reset interest rates from 130%, a world record, to 20%.

By Tapiwa Svondo

Debra Masese (33) has been sentenced to 24 months in prison by the Mutare Magistrates Court for assaulting her 11-year-old daughter with a half brick.

According to the State, Masese hit her daughter with the brick after she found out that she had not cleaned the dishes.

“Debra Masese (33) was arraigned before the Mutare Magistrates’ Court facing physical abuse charges.

“The State proved that sometime in April 2024, the accused person physically assaulted Makanaka Masese her 11-year-old biological daughter with a half brick on the right side of the head. The accused person went to town leaving the complainant with her brother.

“Upon coming back the accused person found out that the complainant had not washed the plates and this enraged the accused person resulting in her hitting the complainant with the brick,” said the prosecution.

Masese took her daughter to a clinic for treatment, but the incident was reported after an anonymous tip-off.

“The complainant fell down and became unconscious and the accused person went with her to the clinic for treatment. The matter came to light after a tip-off was made that the accused person had hit the complainant. The complainant was interviewed and she revealed the truth”.

Masese was then sentenced to 24 months, with 8 months suspended and will serve an effective 16 months in prison.