The only people standing outside banks and ATMs for days were people this new move was supposed to benefit. Pic/AFP

I am convinced that a significant number of my countrymen spend much of their time watching the news and cooking up conspiracy theories in order to frighten the rest of us into doing things we wouldn't normally do. It happens like clockwork every other week, irrespective of which government happens to be in power. I am convinced about this because these bizarre theories start popping up on the 200 WhatsApp groups I am part of faster than pointless birthday and festival messages usually tend to do.