hyperinflation

It is unclear exactly how many Zimbabweans are in Botswana, but thousands have been coming back and forth since Zimbabwe's economy imploded because of hyperinflation two decades ago.

Hyperinflation ran at more than 2,000%, the Maoist insurgency called Sendero Luminoso, or Shining Path, controlled half the country, Peru had suspended payments on its foreign debt and the country produced more coca, the base material of cocaine, than any other country.

As daunting as hyperinflation was when he took office, so was the breakdown in security and the growing strength of the Shining Path guerrilla group, which embraced Maoism.

The ZiG is the sixth currency used following the spectacular 2009 collapse of the Zimbabwe dollar amid hyperinflation of 5 billion percent, one of the world’s worst currency crashes.

The alternative would be printing money at the central bank, which risks igniting hyperinflation.