There has been much talk about how some large businesses are using black market rates to sell their products instead of the official rate of around $88 ZWL per 1 USD as the law dictates. Businesses such as Bakers Inn and organisations such as the ZRP were forced to quickly to make u-turns such policies. But it seems some have persisted.

One such business is the daily news which couldn’t be more visible given the fact that they are in the news business and the price is displayed on its front page. Apparently, the paper sells for US$1 if you pay using USD but it sells for $200 ZWL if you pay using Zimbabwean dollars. That is far above the black market rate of $180 ZWL per 1 USD. In fact, given that most people often pay using ZWL cash for newspapers the rate being used by Daily News is far above the current cash rate of 140 ZWL per 1 USD.

It would be kind of hypocritical for the same paper to go on to rail against economic saboteurs and castigate businesses for doing exactly what the paper is doing itself. Businesses in Zimbabwe for their part have laid the blame on the government whom they accuse of shooting themselves in the foot by introducing inconsistent policies. These inconsistent policies, business leaders argued, are the reason why the economy is misfiring.