“I Am Joining The Jobless Market” Says Gono

via RadioVop Zimbabwe – “I Am Joining The Jobless Market” Says Gono As He Leaves RBZ 30 November 2013

Today, November 30, 2013 officially marks Dr Gideon Gono’s last day at the helm of Zimbabwe’s lender of last resort, the Reserve bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ).He appointed Charity Dhliwayo one of his deputies as Acting Governor until March 2014 and if no new substantive governor is appointed another deputy Dr Kupukile Mlambo will act.

Below is Gono’s farewell statement:-

It is exactly ten years or 120 months since I joined the RBZ family on a tour of duty as Governor and while it seems like yesterday, in reality it isn’t. Children who were born at the time I joined the Bank are now at mid-primary level in their schooling!

That is how long my stay has been at the Bank and in terms of the law, it is time for me to pack my bags and move on other assignments.

There is not much to say about my tenure here at the Bank which you all do not know. The story is better told, and evaluation best made by each and everyone of you.

No doubt, we succeeded in some areas of our assignments more than we did in others but that is not for me to say. All I can say for now is that I depart a very happy person in terms of discharging the mandate given to me by His Excellency the President, Cde R.G. Mugabe in November, 2003 and that of defending the country’s sovereignty and economic interests at Zimbabwe’s time of greatest need and when the economic attacks against the country were at their gravest.

Some countries that have faced a quarter of the challenges and dangers we faced are on their knees with riots galore and unending changes in their government administrations and untold suffering worse than we experienced or are experiencing.

I want to thank you all, individually and collectively, for all your love, loyalty, support and cooperation in the formulation of strategy and execution thereof over the years in discharging the above mandate even though some choose to forget what we all went through to remain standing.

You all made my leadership role and task much easier than it would have been had you chosen to do otherwise. You all enriched my experiences and deepened my resolve and conviction in many spheres of my life.

Like any mortal being, I was not perfect. I was not and am not a Saint. I urge all of you to pick up the batons of excellence, determination, hard work and fortitude where I am leaving and to run with them for the betterment of our economy in particular and country in general until we meet again one day.

It is also fortuitous that I am ending my ten year tour of duty on my 54th Birthday and just as “I was taken home immediately after birth,” I am going home to my family and friends” today after completing a successful tour of duty or could it be that I am joining the “jobless market?” Only time will tell.