It’s no secret that selling your toe for a large sum of money in Zimbabwe has been reported.

A seller told Agence France-Presse (AFP) on Saturday that vendors in Zimbabwe have been fighting reports that they are selling severed human toes, which are commonly used in witchcraft.

The rumors appear to have started after a social media post on Monday claimed toes could be sold for $20,000 to $40,000 depending on size, blaming the supposed business on a government “unable to create work.”

People began to whisper that merchants near the Ximex Mall in Harare wore closed shoes to conceal their participation.

“We’ve been coming here with open shoes to illustrate the idea that we don’t do witchcraft here,” Tafadzwa Murengwa, speaking on behalf of the traders, told AFP in the car park outside the mall.

“It’s a ruse. On social media, people were just joking around “”Says the 29-year-old.”

“Wouldn’t we all be doing it if there was such a thing, given how people are suffering?”

Since the beginning of the week, unverified films have been circulating, fuelling the rumors.

One shows a man having his toe amputated and begging for the keys to the four-wheel drive he was promised as payment.

Despite the rumours being denied people can’t help it but make jokes about the issue, like this one who has a bandage on his toes claiming his coming from Zimbabwe.