In every supermarket and wholesale, Zimbabweans are scrambling for
mealie-meal. After an eight year political and economic crisis,
Zimbabwe is facing acute shortages of maize due to a haphazardly
implemented land reform programme, a situation that has been made worse
by recurring droughts.
Score Supermarket branch manager Sethata Ntswaneng said that in one
morning, 400 bags of mealie-meal had been bought from his store.
"I tried to at least limit so that other customers would not be
disadvantaged but the Zimbabweans find ways to buy more than they are
allowed to. They send different people into the store to buy for them
so our plan was defeated," he stated. In addition, the Zimbabweans call
suppliers to get information when they will deliver stock to a
supermarket so that they can be on hand when the consignment arrives.
Sethata said that their suppliers were trying to satisfy all the customers by rationing stock.
"Right now, if you order 2,000 bags you’ll get something like 400," he
stated. He said Bokomo mealie-meal sells fast because it is cheaper.
"At the moment they are buying White Star mealie-male at alarming rates
because of the acute shortages." Sethata said he was worried that by
Christmas there would not be any mealie- meal on the shelves.
Choppies Supermarket manager Dhananjayan Chammencheny said that they
are facing problems because the suppliers are not able to fulfil
orders. He said that by next month, Francistown is likely to face
shortages of maize flour.
He urged government to take steps to restrict or limit export of mealie-meal.
"Last month we did not have a problem and it only started about end of October," he stated.– Mmegi, Botswana
Post published in: Agriculture