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EDITOR – Firstly, I would like to start by saying “mapanic buyers muriko here uko?”
The past few days have been full of drama on the shopping scene as people have been hoarding goods fearing that they would run out.
Unscrupulous retailers had even increased prices for certain goods, highlighting the ridiculous black market forex rates.
Even when Government has reassured people that there was no shortage of basic commodities, ignorant individuals remained in panic mode, buying whatever commodity they came across.
So silly has been the situation that some have been buying toilet paper in bulk.
After the announcement that the Minister of Finance had struck a deal with the Afreximbank, which would guarantee the 1:1 convertibility value of Real Time Gross Settlement balances into the United States dollar, and the availability of the greenback for Nostro foreign currency accounts, black market rates tumbled.
Coincidentally, prices have also started tumbling and people have also started realising that suppliers have not pulled the plug on all basic commodities like sugar and cooking oil.
I am sure there are many people who bought cooking oil at extortionate prices and now that the prices have normalised, what are they going to do with those boxes they hoarded?
This should be a great lesson to all that social media should not govern anything. This message on shortages was being peddled on social media by individuals who would like to see the country being plunged into chaos.
Why should any intelligent individual listen to a social media statement highlighting that there will be a shortage of cooking oil when the producers are putting out full page adverts highlighting that there is no such thing?
Masimba, Mbare.
Online Reporter