Toxic fuel floods Zim

LIVINGSTONE MARUFU AND CLOUDINE MATOLA

Zimbabwe’s fuel companies have defied government directive and continue to sell unleaded and toxic fuel against the law, it has been learnt.

The government outlawed the sale of unleaded petrol with effect from September 1, 2024, through the introduction of Statutory Instrument 150 of 2024, which provides the mandatory blending of anhydrous ethanol with petrol.

The law also aims to reduce the proliferation of contaminated fuel.

A snap survey conducted this week by Business Times, a market leader in business, finance and economic reportage, revealed that several service stations including Puma, Trek and Zuva outlets have defied government directive and are  still selling unleaded petrol.

However, Total Energies, Engen and Glow service stations have complied with the law.

ZERA CEO, Edington Mazambani said the regulatory authority makes sporadic checks to ensure fuel dealers are complying with the law.

“Government has not relaxed the fuel blending regulations,” Mazambani told Business Times.

He added: “All fuel transported  through the pipeline  is blended  before upliftment  from either Feruka or Msasa depots.ZERA, through fuel quality compliance checks  on the adherence  to specifications  as provided  in fuel quality regulations.”

Last month, ZERA convicted and fined 12 fuel stations and cancelled one operating licence for selling    contaminated fuel.
Additionally, toxic or contaminated fuel has flooded the Zimbabwe market with ZERA saying it has reached unprecedented levels.

Mazambani said the authority was intensifying crackdown on fuel companies.

In order to make punishment more deterrent, he said ZERA was evaluating fuel quality standards and regulations.

“ZERA is sharpening enforcement and regulatory tools by initiating, developing and reviewing fuel quality standards and regulations to make punishments more deterrent. ZERA is increasing its monitoring and enforcement capacity by establishing and adequately manning regional offices to increase frequency of random testing and responsiveness to complaints. ZERA is working closely with the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) to enforce fuel quality regulations through site closures and arrests of operators,” Mazambani said.

He also said ZERA has resolved to name and shame fuel service stations found to have contaminated fuel. This, according to Mazambani, is an attempt to raise consumer awareness and encourage fuel companies to abide by the laws and regulations.

“ZERA has always conducted fuel quality monitoring in the market with a zero tolerance to fuel contamination and adulteration. The naming of those service stations caught with contaminated fuel is meant to raise consumer awareness and encourage service stations to comply with set fuel quality standards and specifications,” he said.

He added: “The problem is not limited to Harare alone. The list published shows companies caught and prosecuted so far between January and June 2024 country wide covering Quarter 1 and 2 of the year.

“Bulawayo, Mutare, Masvingo, Ruwa, and Marondera each had sites prosecuted in the period. Harare has more than 50% of the total fuel retail sites in the country and this also shows in the statistics of convictions. ZERA shall be publishing the lists of convicted retail sites country wide at the end of Quarter 3 in September 2024 upon finalization of their cases.”

In terms of the Petroleum Act (Chapter 13:22) and Petroleum (Fuel Quality) Regulations, ZERA conducts regular fuel quality monitoring across the country all the time to ensure fuel sold at retail sites meets national fuel quality standards.