No straws for Zimbos?

I am usually a careful, timid little creature and all the decisions I've ever made reflect this embarassing trait. All except one, the decision to move to Zimbabwe.

Another embarrassing trait of mine, i must admit, is impulsiveness. So after years of maintaining that I'd never move back to Zimbabwe because " the political atmosphere is not condusive for independent-minded intellectuals like me" , yours truly suddenly decided that Zimbabwe was, after all, where i am meant to be. Let's all laugh together now.
Seriously, because there is no such thing as "the place where you are meant to be".

This statement overlooks the fact that there are a number of options that could give me the same feeling of fulfillment and adventure that i haven't explored, but i chose this one place and decided to pretend there is nothing else out there. My point is I'm not "meant to be" anywhere except where i  "choose to be"
Let that information infiltrate.

Having made that impulsive decision, i was faced with the labourious task of actually living the life i chose. Listen to me when i tell you that it is not easy no matter how fabulous i make it look. I have to do that because i love Zimbabwe and i don't want anybody looking down on the land from whence i came but pay attention! Look beyond the instagram hashtags, the seemingly successful Twimbos (Zimbabweans on twitter) and pay attention to the streets, the schools, the mile-long bank queues  and most importantly, the supermarkets.

I feel like i should highlight supermarkets because in my opinion, these really reflect   the state of the country's coffers in a very honest (and in some cases, embarrassing) manner. For example, supermarkets have been giving very little cashback to customers ever since the cash crisis hit and when there was a shortage of food, stores sold it on a "one per customer" basis so that everyone would be able to buy. In fact, I'll just go ahead and change Nelson Mandela 's famous quote to

"The health of a country's economy is made evident in the way supermarkets treat their customers".

I say this out of love , and concern, because Zimbabwean supermarkets have  some very unhealthy, money-saving habits that just make me furious. At the very top of the list the ever-so-economic  Straw-Rationing!!

I will never forget that fateful day in 2013 when i bought a Buddie Fanta (500ml bottle) at a Greens supermarket in Bulawayo  and was told that i "may not have a straw" because they are only for cans. I was so shocked because where i lived you could get a straw for a packet of chips and nobody would ask you any questions. I felt so sorry for Zimbabwe because how poor do you have to be to not afford straws? At this time i was only visiting so it was no big deal. Zimbawe was poor but it was none of my business.

Fastfoward to five years later and not only is Zimbabwe's poverty my problem, but i also can't have a straw for a can anymore. This is the real and honest truth! Just ask the security guard at the entrance of the TM Pic'n Pay Hyper in Bulawayo and he'll tell you what he told me, hopefully in a much more polite tone. That the straws are not for cans but for Mageu! Ridiculous isn't it? TM Pic'n Pay of all the stores cannot afford to give me a straw for my can of fruit juice!!

I know it sounds funny when i say it but trust me it's not funny in real-life! Imagine how i felt, fresh from a two-month holiday in South Africa, when i had to drink my juice straight from the can! I was so angry but common sense found me quickly (because I'm smart, you see) and i realized that no matter how rude he is, it is not this poor man (pun unintended)'s fault that straws are still a rare commodity in Post-Mugabe Zimbabwe.

I will stress however, that Straw-Rationing is a terrible habit and these supermarkets must Stop It! Not only does it not make sense to say straws are only for Mageu, but it also suggests that Coca Cola has not supplied them with straws, of which, if this is the case the store must inform the public so that we can protest against the injustice.

My people deserve better and i wish i could say this is the last straw for Zimbos but i cannot. Not only because there are no more straws, but also because Zimbabweans are known to suffer in silence. We are known to let our wounds fester and to put up with gross ill-treatment from authorities in any and every capacity, be it teachers, government officials or supermarkets. We let it all go which is an admirable trait to have, but Not When it Comes to Straws!!!

Zimbabweans deserve straws, so dammit PnP Give us Straws!!