OWN CORRESPONDENT, Harare | Wednesday
ZIMBABWE is facing a critical shortage of fuel because of a debilitating lack of foreign currency, with no immediate solution in sight, a fuel industry source said on Wednesday.
He confirmed that the supply of fuel in Harare was critical and said the country’s second city of Bulawayo had “a little bit of fuel left.”
The source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the country’s third city of Mutare was “quite dry” while the towns of Kadoma, Karoi and Chinhoyi were “dry.”
He said the southern town of Masvingo had “a little petrol but not diesel” while the lake shore town of Kariba, on the Zambian border was “just about dry.”
“It’s a very serious situation,” said the source, adding that the country’s traditional oil suppliers were stocking fuel in tanks in the Mozambican port town of Beira.
He said the fuel was ready for release once the country’s official fuel procurement company, the National Oil Company of Zimbabwe (NOCZIM) paid for it.
“If they could pay for it, we’d have fuel in half an hour,” he said. “The only liquid we’ve got that we can afford is water.”
State radio reported on Wednesday that NOCZIM requires 14 million US dollars a month to meet the country’s fuel needs.
Fuel is piped from storage tanks on the shores of the Indian Ocean port of Beira, through Mozambique and into Zimbabwe.
“If Zimbabwe doesn’t buy it, they (international fuel companies) sell it to Mozambique, or any other country in the region who can afford it,” said the industry source.
“I think we’re coming to the crunch-time. It’s very hard to run a business here,” he added.
In the small town of Karoi, 170 kilometres west of Harare, businessman Kelvin Weare said the town had not had fuel since Monday.
“Fuel, what’s that?” joked Weare. “Is that something like electricty?” he enquired, adding that the town, which services one of the country’s prime farming districts, had also been without electricity the whole of Wednesday morning.
State news agency ZIANA reported on Wednesday that an official fuel task force, which keeps Zimbabwe’s motoring public appraised of the fuel supply situation, had recommended strict fuel saving measures. The news agency said drivers were being urged to reduce speed, avoid unnecessary travel and to share transport.
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