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Paying for access in Zimbabwe The Standard
BY LINDA MUJURU
As Zimbabwe’s economy craters and salaries lose their value, everything including free basic services has a price.
Many residents have a story of a back-door, or “grease,” payment they made to obtain a licence plate, driver’s licence, passport or even to access public education.
These bribes help smooth transactions and speed up services that should have a minimal cost.
Although such payments aren’t new, they are increasing in frequency as two decades of political and economic turmoil continue to wipe out the country’s currency and decimate its financial system.