CHIMOIO – Thousands of desperate Zimbabweans are flocking to
neighbouring Manica and Chimoio towns in Mozambique to buy groceries, as the country continues to witness a wave of massive price increases that have decimated citizens’ incomes.
Prices of most goods in Zimbabwe continue to spiral, causing a lot of outrage from the long-suffering Zimbabweans.
A visit by Zim Morning Post to Mozambique over the weekend showed that Zimbabweans had become the biggest shoppers for groceries in the two cities.
Zimbabweans are swamping shops in Manica and Chimoio like Shoprite, VIP and Jumbo Cash & Carry, buying basic commodities both for personal use and resale.
“We have no option but to come here and buy the groceries because l
cannot afford to buy them in Zimbabwe,” Gift Bingandade, a shopper
from Mutare, said.
Shoppers from other cities like Harare, Bulawayo, Gweru and
Masvingo, among others, have also joined the bandwagon.
“The prices in Zimbabwe are a sign of madness. Mozambique is the way forward. The groceries are cheaper here,” Mavis Mafukidze from
Harare said.
A two-litre bottle of cooking oil, which costs ZW$57.15 in Zimbabwe (about US$5), costs US$2.00 in Mozambique.
A 10kg packet of rice costs ZW$540.99 (about US$50) IN Zimbabwe, with the same going for US$15 in Mozambique. A 500g pack of washing powder costs ZW$27.99 in Zimbabwe, which is almost US$2.
A shopper in Mozambique forks out only US$0.80. Cooking Oil, bathing and laundry soap, washing powder, flour, chicken, dried and fresh fish, rice and soft drinks have become popular with the Zimbabwean shoppers.
The shoppers exchange the Zimdollar and United States dollars for Mozambican meticals in organised foreign currency syndicates operating at the Forbes Border Post and the famous Mumango area in Machipanda.
Shoprite and Jumbo Cash & Carry employees have confirmed a radical
rise in daily sales, with Zimbabweans said to be hoarding the basic commodities.
“We are now working overtime. We have seen a lot of customers from
Zimbabwe coming to do shopping here (Shoprite). Actually, some are
hoarding the groceries. maybe for resale in Zimbabwe,” said a worker at Jumbo Cash & Carry.
The Forbes Border post has become a hive of activity, with shoppers moving in and out of Zimbabwe, bringing the cheap groceries home.
The Consumer Council of Zimbabwe has raised concerns over incessant
basic commodity price hikes, saying monthly food basket for a family of six had now shot to over ZWL1 500 from ZWL971
between August and September.
In a recent statement, the consumer protection watchdog accused some businesses of unethical profiteering and called for immediate
engagement between social partners — Government, Business and Labour — to address the situation.
The latest price increases have squeezed consumers, especially
considering that most companies and government have not proportionately increased salaries for their workers.
