HARARE – Energy Minister Joram Gumbo denied Wednesday that his ministry had banned the use of jerrycans as a fuel crisis persists across the country.
The government accuses Zimbabweans of “hoarding and panic buying” fuel, leading to shortages and long queues.
The state-run Chronicle newspaper reported Tuesday that Gumbo had threatened fuel companies they could lose their licences if they served customers with jerrycans, drums and other containers.
The minister called a news conference on Wednesday to clarify his position.
He said there was a large number of people “who are putting fuel in containers crowding out motorists.”
“My ministry notes that there are genuine cases of legitimate customers that include command agriculture and other farmers, owners of grinding mills, schools and hospitals that require fuel for their generators and many other uses, who of necessity must uplift fuel in containers,” he said.
“While these are all genuine cases requiring picking of fuel in containers, there are those who have resorted to hoarding fuel, either for resale or for future personal use. It is this latter class of our citizenry who should desist from doing so as this contributes to creating artificial shortages of fuel on the market.”
He said “drums and other containers” were “fuelling” the black market, adding: “In terms of Statutory Instrument 12 of 2007, fuel is classified under the “Hazardous Substances, Pesticides and Toxic Substances Regulations” requiring specialised containers for carrying and storing. It is in this spirit that my ministry is calling on all fuel trading companies to follow the law and educate members of the public.”
The government is struggling to raise foreign currency to secure sufficient fuel imports.
