Harare - Zimbabweans could soon become a nation of newspaper collectors. Not that Zimbos love reading newspapers or have a sentimental thing for news.

A newspaper has many other uses especially in the toilet. This is because Zimbabwean shops have run out toilet paper.

A survey in city shops revealed that tissues are in short supply in most retail outlets while many Zimbabweans have resorted to importing the sanitary paper from as far as South Africa and other countries for personal use and resale.

A listed group which manufacturers tissues and toiletry is said to be failing to lift production to initial levels after President Robert Mugabe's price controls ruined the company's raw material base.

Mugabe ordered prices of goods be slashed by 50% in June accusing businesses of attempting to remove him from power through a wave of "unjustified" price increases.

This comes a few months after the Zimbabwe All Media Products Survey (Zamps) revealed in April this year that Zimbabweans are foregoing personal care products, such as soap and toothpaste, as they focus on paying for basic foodstuffs.

The use of previously standard personal care products such as toilet soap, deodorants, lotions and dental products declined steeply , according to the survey.

Deodorant usage declined to 19% in the last quarter of 2006 from 37% in the third quarter of the same year, while the use of soap plummeted to 29% from 56%.

Only the use of petroleum jellies increased from 76% to 77%.

The survey also revealed that usage of toilet paper dropped from 62% to 29% in the same quarter as more people resorted to using newspapers and used exercise books, the survey noted.

Zimbabwe is facing its worst economic crisis in history charecterised by high inflation now close to 8 000%.

Critics blame Mugabe for running down the country's once thriving economy through a a series of disastrous economic policies.

- Fin24