Zimbabwe blames oil companies for erratic fuel supply

The Zimbabwean government blamed oil companies for the erratic supply of fuel gripping the country, saying it was the result of a deliberate move by industry players to press for the state to foot hefty transport costs to bring the product to their premises.

Mines and Energy Minister Edward Chindori-Chininga told Parliament that the oil companies had since deliberately not collected their entire allocations from the National Oil Company of Zimbabwe (NOCZIM) depot in Harare's Msasa industrial area, resulting in the sporadic shortages of fuel. He said the oil companies had under-collected about 5.7 mm litres of petrol and 8 mm litres of diesel.
Chindori-Chininga said the major concern raised by the oil companies was that they wanted concessions from the government regarding the point of sale of the fuel.

The ministry had a meeting with the players in the industry and it is understood the oil companies want to collect the fuel from NOCZIM's Workington depot instead of its Msasa depot. "What we have told them is that if they don't collect their fuel they will forfeit it and it will be given to others," he said.
Parts of Zimbabwe have faced severe shortages of fuel, which has also been partly blamed on the strike by workers of the National Railways of Zimbabwe (NRZ). The NRZ ferries fuel destined for the western Matabeleland and Midlands provinces, part of which have been without fuel.