By Desire Tshuma
City of Harare and rate payers at Rowen Martin have since August 2023 been invaded by money changers who are seen every day roaming around the Rowen Martin entrance hijacking forex from rate payers and offering swipe cards and offers high exchange rate who wants to pay their council bills .
Some rate payers have fallen victims of fraud and some have been given some fake money as their change . " We need foreign currency as city of Harare to purchase and pay some of the goods that we import . We are now facing forex shortage due to the influx of these money laundering syndicates " said one of the city of Harare boss who wanted to remain anonymous.
He went further to say that they receive every day reports that some of the rate payers have been fallen victims of robbery and fraud due to these money laundering syndicates who also work hand in glove with thieves.
The government have been enforcing laws against money laundering but it remains a matter of concern that these syndicates are always seen doing these shenanigans in different spots around the central business district.
" I was approached by a lady at the entrance of Rowen Martin in the first week of December 2023 , she sweetly greeted me and asked me if I was heading to pay my rates at the offices and I said yes . She told me that she offers me 15.5 % rate and I was content with that , she gave me her bank card and I went to pay my rates and came back to give her the USD notes that we had agreed on and I surrenderered her bank card to her and she gave me some change . I went to a certain shop in town to buy some items only to discover that I had fake money that the lady gave me as change, when I went back to look for her she was nowhere to be seen " said another victim who also wanted to remain anonymous.
The management of City Of Harare and rate payers are pleading with the government and law enforcement agents to come to their rescue by taking these money laundering syndicates to law.
