The Chronicle
BULAWAYO, Monday, April 20, 1992 — Several shops in both the western and eastern suburbs in Bulawayo received supplies of mealie-meal during the Easter and Independence holidays and all retailers contacted yesterday reported a marked increase in the amount delivered.
The increase in the quantity of mealie-meal delivered follows an announcement last week that the Grain Marketing Board had increased to 80 percent maize supplies to Blue Ribbon Foods Limited. The resident minister for Matabeleland North, Cde John Nkomo, announced last week that the two milling companies would work flat out during the holidays to ensure that most of the mealie-meal would be delivered to retailers during the long weekend.
A spokesman at Hlalo Brothers Shopping Centre in Mzilikazi said he had received 100 bags of 5kg packs of roller meal, 50 bags of 20kg roller meal packs, 20 20kg bags of Ngwerewere and 20 10kg bags of Ngwerewere, on Friday. However, he could not supply figures for the previous delivery.
The storekeeper at Masiyephambili Trading Store, also in Mzilikazi, said he received supplies on Friday and this was the first delivery in two weeks and so customers took everything as soon as it was delivered.
While a Mlambo Trading Store storekeeper said they had received deliveries late on Thursday. Dhliwayo Trading Store, just next door, was said not to have received anything. Both shops are in Entumbane.
Senior Supermarket in Mpopoma received a delivery of mealie-meal on Thursday evening. The storekeeper said this was the first delivery in a couple of weeks.
Most shops in the eastern suburbs received their deliveries on Saturday. Mealie-meal was delivered at the Glengarry Store along the Harare Road on Saturday morning. The other shops along the same road, Juluka and Oka enterprises, also received deliveries on the same day.
Cde Nkomo said it was hoped the introduction of cards by the residents association and Zanu-PF in the western suburbs would ensure those in the city centre and eastern suburbs would not have to queue for too long as cards would reduce the number of people coming into the city centre to buy the commodity.