South Africa, Botswana and Mozambique have reported an upsurge in the number of Zimbabweans crossing the borders for Christmas shopping, as basic commodities remain in short supply in most shops, the state-controlled Zimbabwe Herald reported on Monday.
Immigration officials said although statistics were still being compiled at the border posts, estimates are that between 2 800 and 3 500 people were outward-bound daily in the run-up to the Christmas holiday, the Herald reported.
”Subsequently, prices of commodities in neighbouring countries have increased owing to the demand from Zimbabweans. Most shops in Francistown reported [being out of stock] on most goods,” said the report.
Although the shopping trips have meant that border towns such as Musina, Chimoio and Francistown are booming, most shoppers prefer the bigger cities such as Beira, Johannesburg and Gaborone, where goods are cheaper and the choice broader, the newspaper said.
”This has boosted manufacturing and retail sales in those countries, encouraging businesses to be set up to support these shoppers.”
Cross-border shoppers were largely responsible for the growth in retail sales in South Africa last year, the Herald said. (South African retail sales rose to 18% from 8,7 over the previous year).
In 2006, Zimbabweans spent R2,2-billion in the South African economy, making them the biggest spenders in that economy.
In a recent research paper, South African-based independent development economist Norman Reynolds said that Zimbabwean shoppers were pumping between R20-billion and R30-billion into the South African economy yearly through these shopping trips.
Reports on Botswana television recently quoted several supermarket owners as saying they had been stocked out as a result of big purchases mostly by Zimbabweans and Zambians, the Herald said.
A visit by the Herald newspaper to Mozambique in December revealed that trade between the two countries had grown sharply since the scrapping of visa requirements a month before.
Water cuts
Meanwhile, Harare will go without water for a week, the state-run water authority announced on Sunday in the latest setback for struggling residents.
Zimbabwe National Water Authority (Zinaw) general manager Lisben Chipfunde blamed the cut, which starts on Monday, on major power failures at the main Morton Jaffray treatment plant.
Parts of Harare’s sprawling dormitory town of Chitungwiza will also be affected.
”Harare and parts of Chitungwiza will this whole week experience a loss of water supplies due to problems beyond our control,” Chipfunde told the state-controlled Sunday Mail newspaper.
”We are really concerned about the frequency of power cuts, which are affecting our plant.”
News of the cuts come after record rains in December. Zimbabwe’s dams are now 87% full, reports said earlier this month. Lake Chivero, Harare’s main water supply, is already overflowing.
Despite the rains, Harare’s more than 1,5-million residents struggle with long water cuts, exacerbated by power shortages, burst sewage pipe and mounting piles of uncollected refuse.
In a separate report, the Sunday Mail said more than 400 cases of diarrhoear-related diseases, including cholera, had been diagnosed in recent weeks in the twin eastern suburbs of Tafara and Mabvuku.
There have been a number of deaths. — Sapa, dpa