HARARE – The government on Thursday said current fuel prices will “remain for a long time” as it dismissed reports of new increases.
A notice purportedly from the Zimbabwe Energy Regulatory Authority (ZERA) said the price of petrol would rise from $3.31 to $3.35 and diesel from $3.11 to $3.17 – the second fuel price increase inside two months.
Deputy Information Minister Energy Mutodi maintained, however, that no increases were imminent.
“The public is hereby informed that current fuel prices are competitive and will remain in place for a long time. Messages circulating on social media on fuel price hikes are malicious and meant to cause alarm and despondency,” he said on Twitter.
In January, President Emmerson Mnangagwa sparked nationwide protests after decreeing a 168 percent increase in the price of fuel.
Mnangagwa said the price hike, which made Zimbabwe’s fuel the most expensive in the world before recent devaluation of Zimbabwe’s RTGS dollars, was a response to a “persistent shortfall in the fuel market attributable to the increased fuel usage in the economy and compounded by rampant illegal currency and fuel trading activities.”
The price increase momentarily saw the availability of fuel improve, as motorists were being priced out.
This week, however, fuel queues returned across the country as Zimbabwe once again failed to pay for imports.
Thousands are queuing for fuel again, with public transport operators hiking fares leaving commuters stranded.
