Online Reporter
Lloyd Makonya
Correspondent
AS Valentine’s Day approaches, the pressure to impress intensifies.
Grand romantic gestures are increasingly celebrated, amplified by social media and judged by their visual impact rather than their meaning.
Among these gestures, cash bouquets of crispy United States dollar banknotes artistically arranged with roses have become a fashionable symbol of love, generosity and status.
But as appealing as they may look, cash bouquets raise an uncomfortable question that Zimbabweans may no-longer want to ignore: At what point does romance cross into irresponsibility or even illegality?
Recent developments and reports in Kenya, where Kenya Central Bank authorities warned citizens against using legal tender the Kenyan Shilling as decorative material and threatened dire consequences for offenders, should give us pause.
While the warning was issued across in Kenya, the practice is alive and well in Zimbabwe, more so in Mutare.
Celebrated saxophonist, Denilson Musekiwa, has popularised romantic surprise performances that culminate in the presentation of lavish United States dollars cash bouquets.
These moments are often met with admiration and applause, reinforcing the idea that love must be extravagant, visible and increasingly monetised. Yet popularity does not equal propriety.
Supporters of cash bouquets argue that they give monetary gifts a creative edge. Indeed, many women interviewed on the streets of Mutare say cash bouquets feel more thoughtful than a simple envelope or electronic transfer.
They are seen as practical, yet romantic, money wrapped in emotion.
However, this reasoning overlooks a critical issue of currency is, not just paper, but it is a national instrument protected by law.
Zimbabwe’s penal code, like those of many countries, prohibits the defacement or mutilation of legal tender.
Pinning, stapling, folding excessively, gluing or otherwise altering banknotes for decoration arguably undermines their integrity and usability.
Whether done for love, celebration or spectacle, the act does not change the principle. Although the US dollar is a foreign currency, its status as legal tender in Zimbabwe places it within the country’s monetary protection framework, making deliberate defacement even for celebratory purposes legally and ethically questionable.
There is also a cultural concern.
Florists argue rightly that bouquets are meant to celebrate nature, artistry and symbolism. Turning them into holders of cash erodes the traditional meaning of floral gifting and commodifies romance in ways that are neither elegant nor sustainable.
More troubling is the message cash bouquets send in an already strained economy, that money is abundant enough to be treated as ornamentation.
This is not an argument against generosity, nor against gifting money.
Cash can be a practical and thoughtful present. But how it is given matters. Romance does not require the bending or breaking of legal and ethical boundaries. Creativity does not demand the defacing of national currency. Love should elevate values, not undermine them.
As Valentine’s Day beckons, perhaps it is time to rethink our gestures. Let flowers be flowers. Let money remain money. And let love be expressed in ways that respect both the heart and the law. Because true romance should never come at the cost of responsibility.
