Threats from the central bank, a presidential decree and secrecy over the launch date is how Zimbabwe's bond notes will make their entry into the cash-starved economy. This unusual debut is inspiring little confidence among anxious depositors. But with hard cash fast running out and scepticism from the public over the bond notes, Harare's rulers seem to have lost patience. They have turned to browbeating in the hope of putting an end to a liquidity crunch that threatens to bring President Robert Mugabe's administration to its knees. The issuance of the bond notes as legal tender was critical to the recovery of the economy and their legality should be put "beyond any measure of doubt", said the finance minister, Patrick Chinamasa. "If one owes you money in US dollars, you must accept payment in bond notes. You cannot refuse. One would have discharged his or her obligation to you," he said. Chinamasa's comments are an indication of how the Zimbabwean government intends to finance its ...
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