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Harare - Zimbabwe's central bank chief extended a deadline Monday to exchange bills of Z$200 000 just hours before they were to cease being legal tender after chaotic scenes at banks across the country.In a press conference, Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe governor Gideon Gono declined to set a new date for withdrawing the notes, but blamed recent heavy rains for hampering efforts to stock up banks with new higher denomination bills."The legal status of the Z$200 000 dollar bearer cheque notes is now reinstated and extended to a future date which will be announced when it is deemed strategic to do so," Gono told reporters."All economic players are therefore advised and required to continue fully accepting the Z$200 000 bearer cheque note as it is a legitimate part of our legal tender."Gono, one of veteran President Robert Mugabe's chief lieutenants, had announced two weeks ago that the Z$200 000 notes (about $8) would be worthless as of midnight on New Year's Eve as part of efforts to snuff out a burgeoning black market, and to tackle cash shortages.Major queues were seen outside banks in central Harare long before opening time on Monday, with thousands of customers carrying small satchels of cash or wads of the expiring notes.Many complained they were being forced to exchange notes they had withdrawn only days before."It's so frustrating because I was given these old banknotes when I made a withdrawal on Saturday and I am back here to deposit almost all of the money since many people are refusing to accept it," said Douglas Chimwasa, a Harare resident."You can imagine how much time I lost in the queue waiting to withdraw this money and now I will waste at least another hour returning it."
There were chaotic scenes outside the main branches of Barclays and Stanbic banks in Samora Machel Avneue, with customers trying to barge their way through the doors.
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As in the days of Noah....
