Speaking to journalists last week the Deputy Minister of Energy and Power Development Manga Mudyiwa denied that Cyclone Idai, which damaged infrastructure in the Eastern side of Zimbabwe as well as in Mozambique could have caused fuel shortages in the country.
Zimbabwe receives fuel through the Feruka pipeline which connects with supplies through the badly damaged Mozambique.
“We have got enough fuel stocks in our reserves in the country,” Mudyiwa said.
“At our Masasa deport we have got enough fuel stacks that can take us for three to four weeks.”
The Deputy Minister, however, agreed that Cyclone Idai disrupted fuel pumping in the Feruka pipeline.
The Energy Deputy a mission of sorting out the huge challenges caused by the cyclone in the area where pumping takes place.
“The pipeline had been shutdown on the 15th of March in anticipation as a safety measure,” Mudywa said. “but what we got is that where the pumping is done is where they haven’t resumed pumping.”
“We hope the worst scenario that we can get is that they will resume pumping by the 8th of April but we anticipate that it can be earlier maybe in a week’s time because the CPMZ manger has assured us that they are working flat out to resume at the earliest possible but the pipeline remains intact.”
Zimbabwe is currently facing some periodic fuel challenges with long queues sometimes appearing at filling stations.
Cyclone Idai is responsible for the death of people and damaging communication lines and houses in Mozambique Zimbabwe and Malawi.