Nkosentsha Khumalo
In a country where the traditional dish of mealie meal is a culinary cornerstone, a cornerstone that has served as both sustenance and cultural touchstone for countless generations, the people of Bulawayo have found themselves grappling with a modern-day dilemma.
The staple food, which was once a symbol of domestic sustenance and a fixture of many a family table has become increasingly out of reach with prices skyrocketing to a prohibitive to over US$6 in supermarkets yet the government says inflation has stabilized.
A cloud of desperation hangs heavy over the streets of Bulawayo as the City’s residents struggle to cope with the skyrocketing price of mealie meal, the maize-based staple that has long served as the lifeblood of Zimbabwean culture and cuisine.
Stretching already threadbare budgets to breaking point, residents find themselves priced out of their own heritage as supermarkets hike the price of this comfort food to an astronomical US$6 to US$9 per 10kg bag.
For most of the economically vulnerable residents of Bulawayo, the escalating cost of mealie meal presents a dire threat to their survival. Without stable employment, many families are forced to rely on the uncertain income of vending, leaving them particularly susceptible to even minor fluctuations in the cost of living.
As the price of the country’s staple food skyrockets, Bulawayo residents find themselves teetering on the edge of widespread starvation.
And the government declared that “no one will starve.”
Desperate for relief, residents of Bulawayo have turned to the government with a heartfelt plea, demanding for address of the devastating price hike that threatens to plunge many into a state of mass hunger.
Bulawayo resident, Helen Mlambo, residing in New Luveve area, appealed to the government to review mealie meal prices, emphasizing that these basic commodities are integral to the sustenance of the community.
Mlambo highlighted that the recent poor rainfall has left the citizens stranded, with no crops to rely on.
“We grew up depending on sadza and we plead with the government to make things more easier for us and review mealie meal prices as sadza is our Zimbabwean staple food,” Mlambo said.
Emganwini suburb’s Israel Mambo (70) said people need to come together and sign a petition to remove the inflated Zim Gold (ZiG) currency as it has caused mealie meal prices to rise beyond the reach of many.
“Zimbabweans from all spheres of the community need to unite and rise against the use of the Zim Gold currency, which continues to increase the level of poverty instead of improving it.”
A Bulawayo restaurant Owner said due to the increase in mealie meal prices, they are now forced to increase plate prices to as little as US$3 as a means to keep up with the current prevailing prices and to avoid running losses.
“We have noticed a drop in the number of customers who used to flock in to buy sadza takeaways, we have also since revised our prices in an effort to avoid loss and mantain the revenue,” said Maphosa.
Grain Millers Association of Zimbabwe (GMAZ) Chairman Tafadzwa Musarara said the decision of hiking prices came after the Grain Marketing Board (GMB) increased the price of white maize per metric tonne.
“The new price structures will further push ailing Zimbabweans into deep hardship, considering that many are still earning salaries that are way below the total consumption poverty lines, amid research findings establishing that 49% of the country’s population is living in extreme poverty,” Musarara said.
Zim GBC News ©2024