Zimbabwe Fuel crisis

ZWNEWS.com - linking the world to Zimbabwe: "Zimbabwe in fuel crisisprint friendly version



author/source:People's Daily (China)
published:Sun 8-May-2005
posted on this site:Sun 8-May-2005

Article Type : News

'Depressed price has made forecourt business unviable'

The past week has seen tablets of 'no fuel' at most petrol filling stations in Zimbabwean capital Harare, and there was virtually no petrol at service stations outside the capital. Zimbabwe is now facing a serious fuel crisis due to shortage of foreign currency and low prices of petrol. On Friday afternoon it was said that there was fuel at a petrol filling station at Fourth Street, where cars were immediately seen queuing for this precious liquid, which has increasingly become scarce. In a few minutes, a fuel delivery tanker arrived. It off-loaded about 20,000 liters of fuel and vehicles began to assemble in a single line and the police were soon called in to calm the possibly explosive environment. Two hours later, the service station management announced that the fuel has run out and grumbling drivers began to disperse. Was it true that 20,000 liters of fuel have been sold already? There comes the answer of some drivers. The fuel was still available, but would be sold to dealers who will in turn sell it on the thriving 'black market' at inflated prices, although selling fuel on the black market and demanding bribes from desperate motorists is a criminal offence in Zimbabwe."