Concern over recurring fuel shortages

Zimbabweans on Tuesday were concerned about the impact of recurring fuel shortages on their daily lives, after state media reported that talks with Libya, the main fuel supplier, had collapsed. "The major mediums of transport have been grounded and very few passenger services are operating. Workers in industrial areas are walking to work and have to leave home at 4am to arrive at work on time," President of the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions, Lovemore Matombo, told IRIN. "It will affect workers' productivity because they will be very tired. Considering their low income, some people don't even have anything to eat, so the fuel crisis will create unprecedented levels of mental and physical strain," he added. Matombo said fares for the few modes of public transport operating had increased due to demand. Workers with money were paying for the journey into work, then walking home for two to three hours. However, essential services like ambulances and fire engines in the capital, Harare, still had supplies, according to the council's public relations officer Cuthbert Rwazemba. The Commercial Farmers Union (CFU) said many farmers had bulk fuel storage facilities and could survive short-term shortages. "We'll survive in the short term, but in a couple of weeks, the fuel shortages will create major shortages on farms," CFU president Colin Cloete said. Farmers were currently in their crop growth period and so required less fuel but farmers who needed to reap would not be able to get fuel for their operations. Harare-based bus company Kukura Kurerwa said it only had two days of diesel supplies left. "We still have some diesel available but we foresee a worse situation over the next few days. However, we have been promised a delivery," General Manager Batsirai Nyakuvambwa told IRIN. Country director for the NGO Care International, Phil Christensen, said: "Obviously it is difficult for some transportation but we are managing to cope. NGOs and embassies are able to import their own fuel. We are accustomed to purchasing fuel like everyone else but we use these supplies [imported fuel] when there is a shortage." Christensen added that because of the shortages, Care had to curtail some of its activities as workers in the field were battling to source petrol for their motorcycles. The state-run Herald newspaper on Tuesday reported that, "No fresh supplies were purchased by the sole oil procurer resulting in the fuel situation remaining desperate." It said the US $16 million given to the parastatal National Oil Company of Zimbabwe (Noczim) by the government had instead been used to pay debtors who refused to send further supplies until arrears were paid. There was also uncertainty over whether a supply deal with Libya's Tamoil would continue. Scarce foreign currency supplies has also made fuel procurement more difficult. At the ruling party's conference over the weekend President Robert Mugabe suggested the possibility of nationalising the facilities of the five multinational oil companies operating in Zimbabwe and allowing only the state to distribute fuel.