The media, especially the social media platforms , have become a source of pain for Zimbabwean consumers and to some extent some formal businesses, said an official from the Consumer Council of Zimbabwe.

The alarmist messages on social media have caused a run on many businesses as people conduct panic buying, prices have been hiked on the back of hoax reports of price of fuel being increased the following morning, said the official.

The list is endless, but it has been established the consumer, as all this happen, is the ultimate victim.
The sad scenario is that these prices will never come down upon learning that the reports were false, and this calls for measures to protect the consumers.

It is against this backdrop that Consumer Council of Zimbabwe (CCZ) has blasted social media alarmists for causing unnecessary panic in the market through fake messages.

The consumer watchdog urged the public to ignore such messages.
In an interview on the sidelines of CCZ/Insurance and Pension Commission (IPEC) consumer education and awareness outreach programme in Masvingo on Tuesday, CCZ executive director, Ms Rosemary Siyachitema, expressed concern over prevailing price distortions and castigated people who posted “fake” price increases on social media platforms for manufacturing a gloomy atmosphere in the country.

She urged consumers to rely on formal information from responsible authorities and not to take everything they hear from grapevine as factual.
“When I came to Masvingo last night, I found a number of consumers, especially motorists in panic mode.

Almost everyone was talking about fuel hike from about $5 to $8 that I had to phone Harare to confirm,” said Ms Siyachitema.