An internet rumour blazed through that desperate people in Zimbabwe were selling their toes for cash. It was reported that a Zimbabwean millionaire was buying toes from poor Zimbabweans. Subsequently he was giving them $40,000 for the big toe or a brand new car and $20,000 for the smaller toes.
The false report became so widespread that the country’s Deputy Minister of Information Kindness Paradza came out earlier this month to debunk it.
Paradza declared the toes-for-money story a hoax, as did local and foreign fact-checkers. Police later arrested a street vendor who now faces a fine or 6 months in jail on charges of criminal nuisance for allegedly starting the story.
Nevertheless, a lot of people still aren’t convinced that the Zimbabwe toes for cash was just a rumour.