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WORLD NEWS Saturday 14 November 2020
Zimbabweans mend shabby dollar notes amid economic crisis

By FARAI MUTSAKA ally - with some negotiation months ago when he saw
Associated Press - accept the glue-patched the opportunity to make
HARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) notes that Marombe sells money by patching up old
— Albert Marombe takes a for transactions. Zimba- dollar bills and selling them
grimy, tattered $1 note and bwe's booming informal at a profit. He's making
delicately, expertly glues it economy employs about enough to support his preg-
back into one piece, hold- two-thirds of the popula- nant wife and two children,
ing it up for inspection. tion, according to the Inter- including one who is a
"I don't care how torn it is. national Monetary Fund, so teenager and writing final
All I want to see is the se- there are lots of such dirty year secondary examina-
rial number being visible on dollars in circulation. tions this year.
both sides," said Marombe. The U.S dollar has dominat- In cities across the country,
He'll sell that shabby $1 ed transactions in Zimba- currency traders line the
note for 80 cents and it will bwe since the country's hy- streets holding wads of both
get back into circulation. perinflation soared to more local currency and U.S dol-
Many shops will reject it than 5 billion percent and A currency trader mends an old and worn 2 dollar bill at a busy lars. The $1 notes that are
but market traders will take forced the government to market in Harare, in this Monday, Oct, 26, 2020 photo. in good condition go for a
it, although at a reduced abandon the local curren- Associated Press 10% premium. Traders said
value. cy in 2009. they buy the better-looking
Worn out or shredded by Last year the government vestment, low exports and Traders such as Marombe notes from retail shop own-
rats, $1 notes are king in re-introduced a Zimba- high debt that it does not fill the gap by patching ers and workers and from
Zimbabwe, beset by a bwe currency and banned generate an adequate in- up torn dollar bills of many street vendors who hoard
continuing economic crisis. foreign currencies for lo- flow of fresh greenbacks denominations, but the $1 $1 notes paid by purchas-
One dollar bills are used by cal transactions. Few took needed for its largely dol- note is their main business. ers of small items.
many people to buy their heed though and the black larized local economy, "I am here by 6 a.m. daily The street traders also take
daily bread and other small market thrived, while the lo- Harare-based economist and leave late … business larger bills and provide
purchases. Crisp new notes cal currency quickly deval- John Robertson said. is good. I am surviving," said the equivalent amount in
are not coming into Zimba- ued. In March this year, the "If people do have a small Marombe, popularly called smaller denominations for
bwe, so enterprising traders government relented and denomination in U.S. dollars "the money sanitizer" by a 10% fee.
are repairing old ones for unbanned the dollar. Now they don't want to put those other market traders. The government says the
desperate customers. shortages of small denomi- in the bank. They want to He said he buys the $1 notes practice is illegal and the
Formal businesses reject nations of the dollar are a keep it to themselves," said for between 40 cents and police sometimes raid the
such notes, forcing people nightmare. Robertson, explaining that 60 cents each, depending currency traders, seizing
to sell them to traders like The once-prosperous banks generally do not pay on their condition, and sells their precious dollar notes
Marombe for a fraction of southern African country's account holders in cash. them at a profit. and issuing fines.
their original value. Infor- economy is so weak from Larger denominations are Marombe, 38, sold sec- But there aren't many
mal street markets will usu- de-industrialization, low in- too big for many purchases. ond-hand clothes until six choices for shoppers.q

Dutch govt bans New Year's Eve fireworks to help hospitals

THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — A their homes around midnight to ig- with firework-related injuries linked off fireworks," said the minister for
year overshadowed by the coro- nite rockets and firecrackers and to New Year's Eve celebrations. infrastructure and water, Stientje
navirus pandemic will not go out major cities hosting large-scale The Dutch 2020 New Year's Eve van Veldhoven.
with the usual bang in the Nether- fireworks shows that draw thou- firework ban aims to ease the bur- The government announced a
lands after the Dutch government sands of viewers. dens on hospitals that are already 40 million euro ($47 million) com-
announced Friday it is banning However, it is also one of the busi- swamped with COVID-19 patients. pensation plan for firework sellers
the sale and use of most fireworks. est days of the year for hospitals "In the spring we all applauded for to help cover the cost of storing
New Year's Eve in the Netherlands treating people injured by the py- health care workers. On the up- unsold stock. Only the lightest
is traditionally celebrated with fire- rotechnics. Last year, 1,300 peo- coming New Year's Eve, we help fireworks, such as hand-held spar-
works, with people pouring out of ple went to a hospital or doctor our first responders by not setting klers, will still be allowed.q

Puerto Rico to activate National Guard to fight COVID-19

By DÁNICA COTO to 30%. tremely cautious during the pitalized for COVID-19 has decade ago.
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) The new restrictions start holiday season, encourag- spiked in the last month. "These are difficult times,"
— Puerto Rico's governor Nov. 16 and will remain in ing families to get together "We have outbreaks and said Manuel Laboy, secre-
announced Friday that she place until Dec. 11. Face via Zoom. She said that infections in every corner," tary of the island's Depart-
will activate the National masks and a 10 p.m. to 5 if violations continue into he said. ment of Economic Devel-
Guard to help enforce a a.m. curfew remain man- mid-December, she would The island of 3.2 million opment and Commerce.
curfew aimed at curbing a datory. close down more business- people has reported more "This is causing an econom-
rise in COVID-19 cases and "We will not under any es and implement more re- than 40,500 confirmed ic crisis without precedent."
other measures, including circumstance allow our strictive measures. cases, more than 35,400 He said local officials are
once again closing beach- health system to be placed Health Department Secre- suspected ones and more talking with the U.S. govern-
es to everyone except at risk," she said. "There are tary Lorenzo González said than 900 deaths. ment and a federal control
those doing exercise. many who have lowered the island is seeing more The new measures come board overseeing the is-
Gov. Wanda Vázquez their guard and have not than 600 infections a day, as Puerto Rico struggles to land's finances to find ad-
also said the government understood that this pan- a number he said could rise recover from hurricanes, ditional ways to help own-
will limit capacity at res- demic is still with us." to 1,200 or more by late De- earthquakes and an eco- ers of small- and medium-
taurants, casinos, gyms, Vázquez also urged people cember. He also noted that nomic and financial crisis sized businesses hit by the
churches and other places across Puerto Rico to be ex- the number of people hos- that began more than a pandemic.q