FUEL RATIONED AT E200 PER CAR

MBABANE – Some filling stations have capped the amount of fuel per car to E200.

This is meant to ensure that many motorists are able to refuel and get to their destinations. This was the case at Galp Filling Station at Eveni, where traffic coming from the main road and all the feeder roads was visible. In an interview with the station’s manager, Majahonkhe Tsela, he said rationing of fuel was the only option so that all motorists could at least drive home. Tsela said they had decided to fuel E200 maximum in each car. Asked if the available fuel would serve all the motorists, Tsela couldn’t give a clear response, but registered his hope that all the motorists would get the fuel.

Unrest

The deficiency in the supply of fuel was said to be exacerbated by the current looting and vandalism in South Africa as most suppliers had taken a precautionary measure by temporarily suspending operations. This follows that fuel – petroleum in particular – is easily combusted and since the unrest started in the KwaZulu- Natal Province and spread to other provinces in South Africa, horse and trailer trucks have not been spared from being torched. This political dilemma in the neighbouring republic had trickle effects into the country – which is on its own recovering from political unrest - that resulted in the Royal Eswatini Police Service (REPS) providing security to haulage trucks in fear of them being set alight by pro-democracy protesters. Also, motorists yesterday felt the pinch of the fuel shortage in the country as some filling stations ran out of fuel.

During a visit to some filling stations between 8am and 9am, danger tapes were placed at the entrance as a sign that there was no fuel. One of the filling stations which ran out of fuel at the time was the Galp Filling Station in the Mbabane Central Business District (CBD). At the Engen Filling Station, which is adjacent to Galp, only diesel and paraffin were available. The station supervisor, Raphael Kunene, confirmed that only diesel and paraffin were available and he was not sure about the next delivery as they sourced fuel from Durban. “I am not sure of the next delivery because we are affected by the ongoing protests in Durban,” he said.

In Ezulwini, there was no driveway as motorists blocked both lanes. The queues were still visible even in the afternoon. At Puma Filling Station in Mbabane, there were stationary cars waiting to fuel. At the time there was no fuel. Wandile Khumalo, the station’s supervisor, said they last fuelled cars last Sunday. Khumalo stated that trucks were on their way to the filling station. However, he said he was not sure of the time.  “We have tried to explain the situation to the motorists but they decided to wait until the arrival of the fuel. Some decided to leave their cars at the filling station pending the arrival of the fuel. They told us that they saw a post on social media that fuel would be delivered at around 10am,” Khumalo said.

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