By: Natasha Archary
Contrary to online reports in Nigeria, Zimbabweans are not cutting off and selling their toes!
What started as an online joke about the high cost of living in Zimbabwe has turned into a viral fake news story.
The story claims that citizens of Zimbabwe are desperately trying to keep hunger and poverty at bay and have resorted to selling their toes.
However, the claims are false and the joke clearly missed the mark. Could it have been a case of one publication putting their foot in their mouth?
The story caused such an online stir that it was picked up by the BBC, and has since been ruled fake news.
According to the online hoax, people are fetching thousands of dollars for toes which is being offered by traditional healers in Harare.
The online publication quotes unseen WhatsApp messages between sangomas or traditional healers who are willing to pay up to $40 000 for a toe.
Depending on which toe it is, of course being the toe market is apparently such a lucrative one.
Not to make light of the black market trade of human body parts, but this is why sources need to be verified before news is shared.
Here’s a quote from the online piece:
“A man was bragging that he just bought a Toyota vehicle after selling his toe.”
There was a short video clip of a man limping, with part of his foot covered in bandages and cotton wool. Pictures of a pair of pliers staged to look like it’s cutting off a man’s toe was also shared.
The next picture shows the man’s foot wrapped in bandages.
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