Pirated textbooks 'thrive in Zimbabwe'

Zimbabwean parents have resorted to buying pirated school books as they cannot afford the originals, according to the state-run Herald newspaper.

The parents said as they could not cope with school fees they had made the decision to cut costs by buying photocopies of the text books.

Although it is illegal to pirate books in Zimbabwe, traders are selling them openly - citing increased demand, says the Herald.

The country is in a deep economic crisis with people trying to cope with triple-digit inflation and chronic water and electricity shortages.

A survey carried out by The Herald showed that a set of seven textbooks for primary school pupils can cost about Z$1,400 ($85; £65) while the same set of photocopies cost a fraction of that - Z$229.

Zimbabwe Writers Association chairperson Monica Cheru-Mupambawashe told the newspaper that parents were not to blame for the piracy and that publishing companies should offer better prices so that authors did not lose out on earnings.