Letter: New-look currency a waste of money

The SA Reserve Bank has officially introduced upgraded bank notes and coins. Picture: SARB/Supplied

The SA Reserve Bank has officially introduced upgraded bank notes and coins. Picture: SARB/Supplied

Published May 10, 2023

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By M. Williams

Cape Town - I recently, switched on the TV, are you kidding me?

We are going to have a new-look currency.

I bet we don’t get to know how much that will cost.

Are you totally insane, we have an electricity crisis and we “have no money”.

I heard that the fuel bill for the buses never got paid, so they are parked waiting. Guess who struggles again? The man in the street.

The new currency is for security: will that stop corruption then, we are told it is in Eskom, perhaps the guilty parties could return some of the thousands of the old money and give it back and wait for the new stuff.

In case the government is not aware – there are thousands of South Africans who at this time probably don’t even see paper money, why should they worry about the shape size or colour.

They would be happy to take anything.

The South African Government has, as usual, made promises to the lower income (what a terrible label).

I saw on TV that the President promised some people things would get done before Christmas to their homes and area, but he has never been seen since or his promises acted upon.

He is too busy entertaining and flying to places around the world. Ask them how they feel about the new currency.

Ask the small and medium businesses how they feel about not being able to earn money but still have to pay staff, because we are being bombarded by Stages 4, 5, 6 of load shedding and wait to see how far up the scale it will go.

Explain it to the children who go to school in the dark, ask the seniors in lesser safe areas who must sit in the dark or candlelight, that is if they even have electricity to lose. South Africa is losing its soul very slowly.

Cape Times

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