Fuel supplies return to Zim
2004-10-04 16:12
Harare - Fuel supplies to Zimbabwe could return to normal after almost a month of shortages that have seen motorists queuing for petrol and diesel outside filling stations.
The reasons for the shortages remain unclear, with no official statement being issued by fuel companies or state officials.
The chairman of the Petroleum Marketers' Association of Zimbabwe, Masimba Kambarami, said he expected distribution to improve as there were adequate supplies.
"It is already improving," he said. "There are adequate supplies in the country and as far as we're concerned there are no problems."
Last week Energy Minister July Moyo said that as many as 24 fuel importers could be closed down for abusing foreign currency allocations from the central bank. Moyo told fuel companies they would have to prove they used their allocations to buy gasoline.
"We've given them a deadline and if they fail to give us the proof we need, we will de-register them and the police will take up the investigations," said Moyo.
A filling station owner whose city centre outlet had no fuel, said: "We've had nothing since last week and I don't know when we'll get our next delivery. Things are confused and no one is admitting the reason for the shortage. We just get different stories".
Fuel queues stretching for several city blocks were a common sight in the country, though the current shortage is the first since fuel imports were opened to oil companies last year.
- SAPA