'Zimbabwe has enough fuel'

DEPUTY Minister of Energy and Power Development, Magna Mudyiwa, has said the current 'artificial' fuel shortages are a result of bulk buying triggered by panicking motorists.

Responding to a question asked in Parliament by Chimanimani East Member of Parliament Joshua Sacco over fuel situation, Dep Min Mudyiwa said the fuel challenges were a result of people who were buying in bulk with the aim of reselling onto the black market.

"As a Ministry, one of our mandates is to ensure that we have enough fuel and we have put enough measures to ensure that we deliver our mandate.

"As a Ministry we can assure the public that we have enough fuel and these shortages are just artificial.

"People have been buying fuel in bulk with the aim of reselling it on the black market and also through those who are just buying out of panic," she said.

The Deputy Minister however said the shortages of foreign currency is also another factor limiting fuel distribution.

"The fuel is in the country, we have fuel pumped to our Feruka pipelines but we can only access it when we pay foreign currency so our service stations have shortages in foreign currency," she said.

Whilst making a supplementary question, Sacco also asked if there were any measures in place to stop panic buying of fuel.

"We have a lot of activities in the new dispensation and we are also aware that our fuel has been one of the cheapest in the region but we have been affected by bulk buying of fuel.

Hon Sacco asked on policy concerning the panic buying and the Deputy Minister said her Ministry was currently coming up with ways to deal with the situation.