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IF there is anything we are “good at” as Zimbabweans it’s hoarding.
Be it money or any basic commodity the minute an alarmist says there is a shortage looming we resort to hoarding in anticipation that when the market is dry we will either have the products for use or to sell at exorbitant prices to the desperate public.
The current shortages that range from fuel to basic food are in some cases man-made with people creating artificial shortages that will result in dealers making a profit from the public’s suffering.
The situation that led to the cash crisis whereby the RTGS/ bond rate on the streets has a different value to the United States dollar can be best explained through an old well-known tale of a man who was in the business of buying and selling monkeys.
Once upon a time in a village a man appeared who announced to the villagers that he would buy monkeys for $10.
The villagers knew that the jungle held countless monkeys, easily caught. The man bought two thousand.
As the supply diminished, they became difficult to catch, and villagers returned to their farms.
The man announced that he would pay $20. The villagers renewed their efforts and caught 1 000 more monkeys.
The supply quickly diminished, but before they returned to their farms the man increased his offer to $40 each.
Monkeys became so rare that it was difficult to even see a monkey, let alone catch it. But they caught 500.
The man now announced that he would buy monkeys at $100! However, since he had to go to the city on some business his assistant would now buy for the man. The man departed.
Then the assistant told the villagers, “Look at all these monkeys the man has in that big cage. I will sell them to you at $50 each. When the man comes back you can sell the monkey’s back to him for $100.”
The villagers queued up with all their savings to buy the monkeys. The assistant took their money. They never saw either the man or his assistant again.
They now owned 3 500 monkeys. They were paid $60 000 to catch them, and bought them back for $175 000.
Such stories serve a valuable function in the aftermath of poor decision-making by a society, shifting blame to a designated enemy. . .
Online Reporter