The world of social media is an endless well of the weird and weirder, and users’ latest fascination is that Zimbabweans are reportedly selling their toes (no, that’s not a code word for something unrelated to the body) to make money. But, is it true, or just an obscure sense of ‘humour’ gone viral?
The ‘toe trade’ started to gain traction after a video of a man boasting about a new car he had purchased after selling his toe, and featured his left foot covered in cloth.
Just watched a video remface ane GD6 rake achikamhina asina chigunwe Harare yashata mmmm???
— ??Sports Finisher?? (@Tinoe_Edington) May 27, 2022
The Shona word ‘chigunwe’ started to trend on Twitter, with other African countries like Nigeria and Kenya catching word, and circulating the allegations, although the story was unfounded.
According to the BBC, the story particularly hit a nerve in Nigeria, due to an “upsurge in money rituals.”
A Zimbabwean blog further alleged that the black market traders were at the Harare Mall Ximex, and claims to have interviewed a dealer who noted the selling of toes to be true, and said that wealthy people come with “bags and tell us to fill the bags with toes.”
Why would there be money in toes? Money rituals and body parts used for traditional healer practices are not uncommon on our continent – and this thought progression added to the logic of people believing the story.
Prices were also shared, claiming R640 000 could be earned from the body part.
However, the Zimbabwean government has reportedly expressed that these rumours are a hoax, as News24 reports in citing the deputy minister of information, Kindness Paradza.
The story indicates three pressure points. First, just because something is circulating on social media, it doesn’t mean it is true. Word of mouth is a powerful thing, often with dire implications. We need only look at the recent suspicions that the Parkwood man who was brutally murdered based on claims he was attempting kidnappings to understand this notion. Second, even if the rumours of illicit trade practices are hoaxes, they can still inspire people who are none the wiser to act in hopes of gaining riches. Third, virality can deeply shift the image of a country both domestically and internationally – something that social media diplomacy is deeply fixated on, writes Cape {town} Etc’s Ashleigh Nefdt, who holds an honours degree in International Relations.
Especially for African countries, the narrative largely portrayed by media is still focused on struggle rather than empowerment. Hoaxes like this don’t serve empowerment, and also provide a gateway for regional or intercontinental side-eyes from various powers.
Although the toe trade is claimed to be a joke, could there be any truth to it? As the BBC reports, none of Zimbabwe’s more serious publications appear to have investigated the story, so either it’s a massive toe trade cover-up, or just a social media joke gone viral.
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Picture: Pexels