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Ms Malima sells Sadza, porridge made from maize "mealie meal" or millet, and a piece of chicken stew for $1 per plate to minibus drivers and other vendors.

"I buy a broiler chicken for $6 and cut into 12 pieces which produces 12 plates of Sadza and chicken, giving me $12 per day. From there I deduct $1 for mealie meal, $1.50 for cooking oil and another $1.50 for tomatoes and onions, so my profit is around $2 or $1.50 per day, which I try and save for my licence. But then the police come again and I am back to square one."

Nhamo made a final breakfast and scattered some of her precious mealie meal as a sacrifice to whatever ancestors might be present.

She was afraid to eat the uncooked mealie meal: Am buy a said raw flour swelled up inside and made your stomach burst.

“Useless went to the black bull and sprinkled mealie meal on his head. ‘