Nation wide fuel shortage spoils Christmas

A NATION wide petrol shortage is threatening to spoil the Christmas festivities as thousands of motorists are likely to spend the holidays in queues at service stations.

The scarcity has been attributed to a shortage of ethanol.

The government moved swiftly to avert a crisis with Energy and Power Development Minister Samuel Undenge immediately revising downwards the mandatory blending ratio of petrol with ethanol from 15 percent (E15) to five percent.

It's illegal to sell petrol that hasn't been blended to ratios stipulated by the Ministry of Energy and Power Development.

Fuel suppliers said following the move by the government, the situation is likely to stabilise by tomorrow.

Chronicle yesterday conducted a snap survey around Bulawayo and found that most service stations had gone for three days without fuel but many of them received supplies late yesterday.

A supervisor at Nketa Service Station, Tapiwa Kudumba, said they ran out of petrol on Sunday.

"Since Sunday we'd no petrol. We only received supplies today at 2PM, I understand the problem was caused by a shortage of ethanol. However, we now have enough fuel which can last us until next week," said Kudumba.

An official from Engen Service Station who spoke on condition of anonymity said they still had no fuel.

"Our tanks have been dry since Monday and we expect delivery in the evening. I can't give you the reason why there's this shortage but it has drastically affected our business," he said.

Trek operations manager Antony Davids said although they have managed to stay afloat, the fuel crisis was affecting their business.

"It seems like everyone is buying more and we're struggling to cope with demand. I don't know what's causing this," said Davids.

Motorists said the fuel shortages had dampened their Christmas preparations as they were spending time queuing for petrol instead of travelling to their various destinations.

"I've been going around all the garages looking for petrol till I came here only to find a long queue. I had plans to visit Harare but I can't get there without fuel," said a disappointed Simon Ngwenya who was queuing at a Trek garage.

A number of motorists said they would be forced to hoard fuel as they feared it could run out again.

Consumer Council of Zimbabwe manager for Matabeleland Comfort Muchekeza, said the government should suspend mandatory blending until a time when they can meet demand.

"If Chisumbanje and Triangle are failing to supply enough ethanol the government should suspend mandatory blending until such a time when they're operating at full capacity. Fuel is essential especially at this time of the season," said Muchekeza.

In November, the government effected an increase in the mandatory blending level of anhydrous ethanol with unleaded petrol from 10 percent E10 to 15 percent E15.

The ethanol needed in the E15 fuel has led to an increase in fuel shortages at service stations country wide.

Minister Undenge said the position would be monitored and reviewed according to the availability of ethanol.

"Taking into account the limited production of ethanol and the need to ensure uninterrupted deliveries of petrol to service stations countrywide, I, with immediate effect, reduce the mandatory blending level from E15 to E5," he said.

In June this year, the government increased the mandatory blending level to 15 percent (E15) from 10 percent.

Undenge said heavy rains had been falling in Chisumbanje for the past week, rendering the fields inaccessible to cane harvesters due to the clay soils.

"Once the rains stop and the soils dry up enough, cane harvesting and ethanol production will immediately resume." he said