Indwendwe zabantu abalinde ukuthenga impuphu seziqalile ezitolo zedolobheni lakoBulawayo. Lokhu kungemva kokuba abantu sebesesabela ukuba intengo yempuphu izaqansa njalo.
Abenhlanganiso emele amalungelo abathengi eyeNational Consumer Rights Association, bathi indwendwe zokulayinela impuphu ezitolo ziveza kamhlophe ukuba uhulumende seyehlulekile. Okhulume emele linhlanganiso ngumnumzana Effort Ncube.
“Amalayini emphuphu esiwabonayo aveza kahle kamhlophe ukuthi izinto azimanga kahle elizweni, abantu bazama ngayo yonke benethwa lizulu ukuthi bondle imuli zabo. Ngayo ngesitolo ngesitolo ufica indwendwe zitshaya khonale belandelela impuphu phansi phezulu bengayitholi. Abayitholayo bayithenga ngenkalakatha yemali emigwaqeni. Kanti ke futhi abantu besaba ukuthi loba nini ingakhwela. Lokhu kuyinto uhulumende afanele ukuthi ayilungise yonaleyo, kanye labantu beZimbabwe nxa kuyikuthi uhulumende kuyamehlula. Njengoba kukhanya kusemcekeni ukuthi uyehluleka.”
Umnumzana Sean Zhou isakhamuzi sakoBulawayo uthi impuphu sithengiswa phandle kungazakali ukuthi iphume njani ezitolo.
“Sithwele nzima ngempuphu le i roller meal ngokuthi ingaba khona , uzezwa khonokhu nje sekuthwa iphelile kodwa ayithengiswanga. Indaba yempuphu le siyi problem. Abantu sebedubeka bethenga impuphu edulayo. Ingaphuma khathesi kuma big shops onalawa iyabe sithengiswa phandle. So abantu sebethenga phandle ukuthi iphume njani phandle akwaziwa so angazi kuyalungiswa kanjani.”
Unkosikazi Nosipho Mdluli ngomunye wezakhamuzi zako Bulawayo othi bona sebesizakala ngokuthunyezelwa impuphu evela e South Africa.
“Udaba lwempuphu lolu solusihluphe kakhulu sibili, solusithwalise nzima kakhulu sibili ngoba ayitholakali impuphu ma ungahamba emashop uyithola nje ingeyabantu abambalwa. Wonke umuntu oyabe eselayinini angeke asayithola impuphu yakhona. Lama siyidinga kublack market siyithola ngeprice enkulu engafani laleyo esiyithola ngayo emashop. Thina nje osekusinceda yikhonokho ukuthi bayasithumezela from egoli.”
Unkosikazi Anele Zikhali ongumhlali wakoBulawayo uthi selensuku ebhoda edinga impuphu kodwa engayitholi, lamuhla size yaqansa intengo kwabathengisa phandle.
“Kusukisela nge weekend yonale, bengibhoda ngidinga imphuphu, itshona iphela ngise linini. Kodwa isimanga engilaso yikuthi ku black market ayiswelakali. Amalanga lawa adlulileyo phandle ibiyi $90 kodwa lamuhla sebesithi $100 ngoba kuzwakala engani izakhwela. Asazi kumbe sizaphephela ngaphi ngoba lemakhaya kutshile, izulu leli liphuzile ukubuya.”
Ingcwethi ecubungula ezomnotho welizwe umnumzana Dumisani Sibanda uthi ukusilela kwempuphu kubangela uzulu ukuthi ahlale esevalweni okutshintsha indlela impuphu ethengwa ngayo.
‘Iproblem yempuphu leyi, ngenxa yokuthi vele lapho okule shortage khona i market iyabe isingasamanga kuhle. So nxa singafikanga esigabeni sokuthi impuphu isikhona isinengi, abantu labana abathengisa ku black market bengaselayo i market yikho lapho imizila engaphela khona. So okufunekayo yikuthi impuphu ibe nengi ezitolo. Ama shortages ayabangela ukuthi ibehavior pattern itshintshe, bawode nxa becanga ukuthi izaphela kumbe i price izakhwela. So khathesi kungenzakala ukuthi abantu bayagcina impuphu bemelele ukuthi iqale ikhwele. Ingakhwela sebengaqalisa ukuthengisa ngoba bezazuza imali enengi kulale abangayithola lamuhla.’
Obona ngokukhitshwa kwembiko enhlanganisweni yeGrain Millers Association of Zimbabwe iGMAZ umnumzanan Garikai Chaunza, uthi intengo yempuphu kayikakhwezwa basalinde uhulumende ongakabhadali ingxenye okumele ayihlawulele ekuthengeni umumbu phandle kwelizwe.
‘Sesanelise ukungenisa umumbu ongange 10 000 tonnes ovela eSouth Africa, okwamanje kodwa sesilindele ukukhangelisiswa kwentengo yempuphu leyi ebhadalelwa nguhulumende sibe sesiyingenisa impuphu ezitolo. Esibona kuzenza ukuthi impuphu itholakale ngcono emalangeni angaba ngamatshumi amathathu alandelayo uhulumende ulesikwelede sethu, esabacholayo esidlula i120 million dollars okuyikho okwenza kubenzima ukuthola impuphu ezitolo. Lalo igcikwane leCorona virus selincindezele imizamo yethu yokuyadinga umumbu lengqoloyi kanye lelayisi emazweni asempumalanga, kodwa njenge GMAZ lokhe sizimisele ukwenza umlandu wethu ukuthi senze sobala ukuthi uzulu kalambi.’
Uzulu wakoBulawayo njangazo zonke indawo zelizwe, uthwele nzima ngokuswelakala kwempuphu. Inengi labantu liveza ukuba licina libanjwa ngamandla ukuthenga kulabo abathengisa ezitaladeni kumbe emkhambo wensitha ngentengo ephezulu kakhulu ngoba ezitolo ingatholakali. Abakhangele amalungelo abathengi bathi indwendwe ezikhona ezitolo ziveza sobala ukuthi uhulumende sehlulekile ukunakekela uzulu.
