BULAWAYO – Cooking oil manufacturer United Refineries has been forced to temporarily shut down its factory in Bulawayo as a water crisis bites.
The 74-year-old company which is a manufacturer of personal care and agro-commodities exports cooking oil and soaps in the region and employs hundreds of workers.
“We regret to inform our valued customers, suppliers and stakeholders of the temporary suspension of our factory operations due to limited water supplies. We continue to engage Bulawayo City Council with regards to returning the situation to normality,” the company said in a statement on Tuesday.
“We are aware this is happening as we prepare for the festive season stocking programmes and promotions.”
Bulawayo’s water supply dams are drying up and the city has been forced to cut water supplies to residents and businesses which can sometimes go for weeks without water.
United Refineries, the makers of Roil cooking oil and Image bath soap, is one of the few surviving factories in Bulawayo after several closures caused by a prolonged economic downturn.
Busisa Moyo, a member of President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s Presidential Advisory Council is the United Refineries CEO.
