A severe shortage of mealie meal has given birth to a thriving black market for subsidised roller meal, with the product being delivered to supermarkets in drips and drabs while it is abundantly available on the parallel market.
Some Bulawayo residents who spoke to the Chronicle accused unscrupulous shop owners, local councillors and police officers who control mealie meal queues of diverting the product to the black market where it is sold strictly for cash.
Meanwhile, Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare Minister Paul Mavima said the government is working on importing maize to make mealie meal readily available for the consuming public. Said Mavima:
