The Zimbabwean government has slammed the so-called ‘toe craze’. Image via Pixabay
Tip-top toes: Zimbabwean government slams toe-selling craze [photos]
The man who allegedly started the rumour that Zimbabweans were selling their toes for money says he was ‘only joking’.
The Zimbabwean government has slammed the so-called ‘toe craze’. Image via Pixabay
On 2 June, social media was filled with rumours that Zimbabweans were selling their toes for luxury vehicles and cash. After several images went viral over the past week, the Zimbabwean government rubbished claims about the so-called toe craze and the man who started it all claims he was “only joking”.
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WHERE IT ALL BEGAN
Taking to Twitter on Monday 30 May, Twitter user @InnocentZikky claimed that Zimbabweans had started selling their toes for thousands of dollars.
“This is due to the high cost of living and failure for the government to create jobs,” the tweep added.
The tweep claimed that the toes were being bought for $40 000 (R616 000) while smaller toes were being bought for $20 000 (R308 074).
In a second tweet, the tweep claimed that “sales” were opening again and directed others to his direct messages.
THE MAN WHO STARTED IT ALL
According to iHarare, the toe-selling craze was started by a trader at a shopping mall in Harare, who claimed that it was going on “for a long time”.
The unnamed trader added that his fellow colleagues at Ximex Mall were allegedly selling their toes for luxurious lives.
The publication reports that the trader has since backtracked on his statement adding that he was “drunk” and “only joking”.
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WHAT THE GOVERNMENT HAS TO SAY
Zimbabwe’s deputy minister of information, publicity and broadcasting services, Kindness Paradza visited Ximex Mall to investigate the toe craze.
Paradza told iHarare that the rumours were “tarnishing” the country’s name.
“There is nothing like that, it’s the act of social media peddlers who are trying to tarnish our country,” said Paradza.
“They are also tarnishing the image of our citizens, who are working hard to earn a living, assuming that they are trading their toes to prosper.”
