Martin Rushmere
AS ZIMBABWE government ministers trudge through Europe and the Middle East in a largely futile search for money to buy diesel and petrol, service stations are rationing motorists with a maximum of Z$400(R70), enough to buy 20 litres.
Oil companies say that the situation is now at crisis level.
While limited supplies are arriving, they are not enough to meet demand, says industry spokesman Tom Walter, g.m. of Mobil.
Given the supply constraints of ship arrival timing and distribution by pipeline, road and rail, there will be critical shortages for some time.
One industry estimate says that if there was enough money to buy limitless quantities of oil, it would take eight weeks to get back to normal.
Every sector of the economy is now affected, with factories and shops having to work short time. Tourism has taken a heavy beating, with thousands of cancellations from abroad because of fears that there will not be enough fuel to ferry visitors around, according to industry president Pedia Moyo.
President Robert Mugabe in his latest tirade has accused white farmers of hoarding diesel and commercial banks of hoarding foreign exchange.
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