The Zimbabwe Energy Regulatory Authority (ZERA) has penalised almost 140 illegal fuel dealers for operating without licenses this year, while three other retailers had their operating permits revoked for selling products sourced from unlicensed wholesalers.
ZERA imposed fines ranging from US$50 to US$600 on individual offenders. ZERA’s CEO, Edington Mazambani, stated that the industry regulator would continue to weed out illegal fuel dealers and enforce licensing regulations to maintain long-term order in the sector. Mazambani said eight retailers were prosecuted last month for pegging fuel prices above prescribed levels. He told The Sunday Mail:
In 2023, 137 petroleum companies have been prosecuted for operating without the requisite retail licences.
Fines ranging from US$50 to US$600 have been imposed on the different companies.
So far, three retail operators have had their licences suspended for purchasing fuel from unlicensed wholesalers.
The operation is not about recovering fuel but enforcing licensing regulations and long-term order in the sector.
Most unlicensed retailers sell petroleum products well below gazetted prices because they would have procured their products illegally.
He also said investigations are underway, but it is suspected that unlicensed retailers get their fuel through fraudulent activities, including smuggling, misdeclaration, and adulteration. Mazambani warned the public not to be lured by very low fuel prices as such products would have been tampered with.