SHOPPERS FIGHT OVER CHEAP ZNS MEALIE MEAL

THERE was commotion at Shoprite Cairo on Wednesday after angry shoppers almost lynched a group of individuals who had bought more than 10 bags of cheap Zambia National Service (ZNS) mealie meal which they intended to resale at exorbitant prices.

The situation almost got physical and it took the police to restrain the angry mob from lynching some individuals who had bought huge quantities against the directive that individuals should only buy a bag each for consumption.

It took swift police intervention to control the situation as the mob complained that it was not fair for individuals to buy more than one bag at the expense of others.

The police however faced serious resistance as the angry mob refused to succumb to their plea as they were determined to ensure that the shoppers reduced the number of bags of mealie meal they were buying.

And a spot-check by The Scoop in other major Supermarkets such Pick and Pay found a similar trend of people buying the commodity in bulk.

Shoppers could be seen carrying loaded trolleys with the ZNS branded mealie meal while other brands were not being purchased.

One of the people involved in the fracas stated that it was not fair that people were buying mealie meal in bulk instead of giving a chance to their colleagues who were also in need.

The source who did not want to be mentioned indicated that most people were taking advantage of the price of the ZNS mealie meal which was fetching between K230 and K250.

The source called on the Government to ensure that they regulated the number of bags of mealie meal that was being purchased because certain individuals were hoarding the commodity with the intention to resale at a higher price.

“It is unfair for people to take advantage by buying more than 10 bags when they know that other people would also want to purchase the mealie meal,” he said.