Expensive trips for unavailable products at inflated prices....

By Tererai Karimakwenda
10 February 2006

Our correspondent in Mashonaland West says the price of most basic commodities has skyrocketed, but ironically those same things are not anywhere to be found. Mike Mutasa says he made the rounds in Chinhoyi, and was not able to find mealie-meal or sugar. But he said there were signs in the shops advertising the new prices for these products.

Without actually seeing any, Mutasa was able to tell us that a 2 kg bag of sugar in Chinhoyi now costs Z$ 100,000, up from 40,000. He also found out that a 2 kg bag of rice was now Z$ 335,000 and a loaf of bread would set him back Z$ 55,000. Mutasa went back home empty handed after failing to find any of these basic foods in the Chinhoyi town centre. But the trip cost him Z$ 50,000 for the round trip. A trip to town from Chikonohono high density suburb is now Z$25,000 one way.

Mutasa said he knew many families that were turning to rice because they could not find any mealie-meal. But if the family had about six members, they would not be able to feed everyone at these prices.