Prices for minibus fares rise and mealie-meal scarce in Bulawayo

By Tererai Karimakwenda
24 January 2006

The record drop in the value of the dollar is already causing serious problems for the average Zimbabwean family. In Bulawayo commuter omnibus operators raised the price of a trip to town so drastically that the police had to intervene. But the operators say the price of fuel on the black market, the only place they can find it, has also gone up drastically. It would be more profitable to park their minibuses and save rather than carry passengers and lose money.

Our correspondent in Bulawayo reports that the omnibus operators increased their fares on Monday from Z$20 000 a trip into town up to Z$30 000. He said the Minister of Local Government, Iganatius Chombo, has warned the Bulawayo taxi operators that they will get the full wrath of the law if they did not revert to the old fare. Police told Nyathi that nobody was “harassing” the operators, but they were just arresting them and impounding their vehicles if they have increased their fares without government approval.

The search for mealie-meal has resumed for Bulawayo residents with most Bulawayo shops having run out at the weekend. Several shop owners confirmed that there was a serious shortage of mealie-meal in the city. One shop owner said that officials at the state owned Grain Marketing Board were warning people to brace themselves for mealie-meal shortages this month.

A resident of Njube township who has five children to feed said she had spent four days looking for mealie-meal in town but had not found any.