Zimbabwe’s state fuel company has run dry, paralysing virtually all government departments and stopping many trains, buses and cars across the country.
The government responded to the latest twist in the long-running fuel crisis by blaming the British government. ”There is no fuel here, not a single drop,” said an official of the state National Oil Company of Zimbabwe (Nicoz) in the state-controlled Herald newspaper on Saturday. The official said some fuel was expected ”early next week”.
Without fuel, the work of government departments around the country has been hit. Police operations in many areas are being carried out on foot, bicycle or by public transport.
Ambulances have had to be refuelled by patients’ relatives.
The severe shortage should embarrass the energy minister, Amos Midzi, who said only last week that fuel supplies were ”adequate”.
International oil companies closed off supplies to Zimbabwe in December 1999 because the government had failed to meet payments.
The state oil company, Noczim, is said to owe around £180-million.
Since then, the country has staggered through on temporary arrangements – including a year’s supply from Libya – which all dried up as the government continued to fail to pay its bills. – Guardian Unlimited Â