Fact Check: Are Zimbabweans Really Selling Their Toes For $40,000? (All You Need To Know)
June 02, 2022
In this article, we'd be seeing all you need to know about the trending reports of Zimbabweans selling their toes for money. Zimbabwe is a landlocked country in southern Africa known for its dramatic landscape and diverse wildlife, much of it within parks, reserves and safari areas. With a population of over 14 million people, one shouldn't be shocked at how fast and easy it is for news about the country to reach other African countries, especially in this era of social media.
There have been reports about some Zimbabweans selling their toes for large amounts of money. According to the reports, the amounts involved; $40,000 for a big toe, $25,000 for a middle toe and $10,000 for a little one. (BBC)
According to a report of LindaIkejisBlog, a Zimbabwean millionaire is allegedly buying toes from poor Zimbabweans, offering them nearly $40,000 or a brand new automobile in exchange for cutting their toe in public. (Lindaikejisblog)
In the report, it was alleged that the toes collected by the Zimbabwean millionaire are being utilised for ritual purposes, with some claiming that sacrificing toes is how their businesses are growing.
Are Zimbabweans really selling their toes for money?
It is not uncommon for body parts to be used in unscrupulous traditional so-called cures. Touted by charlatans or fake healers, they are associated with witchcraft - and are condemned by respected traditional healers, known as "sangomas" in southern Africa.
But so far, no credible Zimbabwe newspapers or blogs have taken up the story. Some Twitter users have taken to the platform to complain that the hilarity is a distraction from more critical issues facing the country.
The Gambakwe blog, published on 28 May, said the "trade in toes" was happening at Harare's Ximex Mall.
A few days after the blog, Zimbabwean tabloid H-Metro posted an interview with black market currency traders at the mall who said the whole issue was blown out of proportion after a few of them shared it as a joke.
But since then they said some people had been coming down to Ximex to enquire about the trade on hearing "the rumours".
Twitter users in several African countries, including Nigeria and Uganda, began posting that Zimbabweans had started selling their toes for thousands of dollars.
A trending video that was spotted by our team on the issue has so far, done little to no good in proving the trending tales. In the video, a man was spotted allegedly getting his toe cut with another man holding a car key ready to hand it over once the toe is removed. The videos are believed to be staged as the toes weren't really cut in the circulating clip.
The Verdict
There is no shred of evidence available to prove that Zimbabweans are really selling their toes for money. We will, however, keep you updated as we gather more information on the news.
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