Online Reporter
The Herald 13 July 1982
MINISTRY of Trade and Commerce inspectors have started raiding wholesale suppliers in the Harare area in a clampdown on cooking oil hoarders, a ministry official said yesterday.
Mr Gilbert Tsuro, officer-in-charge of the investigations section of the Ministry of Trade and Commerce was speaking after a noon raid of a city wholesaler in Pioneer Street.
He said his inspectors had found 2000 cases and more than 300 20-litre tins of cooking-oil at the shop.
The Government was drafting legislation that would make the hoarding of essential commodities illegal.
It was not illegal to hoard cooking-oil at the moment, he said.
The owner of the shop, who refused to be named, denied that he was hoarding and said he was trying to distribute his supplies as fairly as possible. Briefing the Press before entering the shop, Mr Tsuro said: “The public should know that some of these shortages are not genuine. We are going to flush out all those who are hoarding cooking-oil.”
His inspectorate would expose hoarders, because he felt they were “holding the nation to ransom”.
He said some of the wholesaler’s supplies had been in stock since March last year. “Some suppliers are hoarding to release the stocks when the time is right. They are anticipating an increase in the price, and have asked the ministry to approve increases.”
The owner denied that he had 2 000 cases. He estimated he had only 500. Customers were rationed to one case each.
If he did not ration the stocks would be sold out in a day. About 50 cases were sold each week, mainly to traders in Harare and the communal areas.
One ministry Inspector, Mr Killian Mpunzwana, asked the owner where emergent businessmen would get their supplies from if only traditional customers were supplied.
The owner said it was unfair that the Press should be brought to his shop. Mr Tsuro said he was not trying to victimise the owner, and all suspected hoarders would be investigated when reported by the public.
Lessons for today:
- Mr Gilbert Tsuro argued that some cooking oil shortages were “not genuine” and that certain wholesalers were deliberately holding stocks instead of releasing them to the market. When people expect prices to increase, some may withhold goods to make greater profits later. This can create or worsen shortages even when stocks exist.
- Government intervention often follows market distortions. The article states that Government was drafting legislation to make hoarding of essential commodities illegal. When markets fail to distribute essential goods fairly, governments often intervene through regulations, inspections, price controls, or anti-hoarding laws.
- Transparency is important during shortages. The ministry invited the Press to witness the raid, while the shop owner complained that it was unfair.
- Public communication becomes crucial during times of scarcity. Citizens need to know whether shortages are caused by production problems, distribution challenges, speculation, or hoarding.
- Balancing profit and public interest is difficult. The wholesaler argued that he was rationing supplies fairly, while inspectors suspected he was holding stock for future price increases. During shortages there is often tension between business interests and social responsibility. Determining whether stockpiling is prudent business practice or harmful hoarding can be challenging.
- The issue of hoarding, speculative pricing, and uneven distribution of basic commodities has not completely disappeared. In 2024, the Government reported observing limited stocks of cooking oil, mealie meal, bread and sugar in some formal retail outlets while the same products remained available in informal markets (tuckshops). Authorities cited reported cases of hoarding and diversion of supplies to informal traders seeking higher profits.
- Government monitoring of essential commodities has continued. In 2025, authorities stated that inspections were being carried out through the Task Force on Business Malpractices to ensure adequate availability of basic goods such as cooking oil, mealie meal, bread and sugar.
- Officials reported improved stock levels and market availability compared with previous periods.
