adminThe Herald, 21 May 1980
FUEL rationing was dropped yesterday by the Government. From today, motorists will be able to buy petrol without producing coupons.
Cheers and applause greeted the Minister of Commerce and Industry, Mr David Smith, as he rose within minutes of the start of the first sitting of Zimbabwe’s House of Assembly to declare fuel rationing had come to an end.
Referring to petrol rationing as “a major irritant to the public”, the Minister said: “I have always maintained that it should be discontinued as soon as possible.”
But he warned motorists that inordinate use of fuel now that rationing had been dropped would provoke the Government to take other strong measures to curb consumption.
He said the decision to abandon control over fuel consumption carried an element of risk, and did not imply that the strain on Zimbabwe’s foreign exchange reserves had eased.
But he added: “The task of reconstructing our country and the upturn in the economy, which is already taking place, will inevitably lead to increases in fuel consumption which will not be possible to resist.”
In addition, said Mr Smith, the foreign exchange costs of the inevitable increases in consumption, would be partly offset by forthcoming ethanol use to replace 15 percent of petrol imports.
“In the longer term, we can look forward to an increasing use of the ports of Maputo and Beira, and to the reopening of the refinery at Feruka.”
The minister said the price of future shipments of imported fuel was uncertain, and with the increasing use of locally-produced ethanol, he could give no statement of fuel prices.
However, he believed the situation would become clearer within the next few months, and a price announcement would be made then.
Mr Smith appealed to motorists, both private and commercial, “to continue to exercise the greatest economy, planning journeys and jobs so as to avoid waste, and to be conscious all the time that they are burning money.”
A fuel conservation advisory committee representing private sector organisations and Government ministries set up last year, would be reformed as a communication link between users, and as an advisory body on reducing consumption.
Petrol rationing first came to Rhodesia only weeks after UDI in November 1965, but was temporarily dropped between 1971 and 1974.
LESSONS FOR TODAY
Landlocked Zimbabwe has on a number of occasions faced challenges of having adequate fuel for the ever increasing motoring public. The fuel queues are testimony to the challenges.
There are a number of reasons attributed to fuel shortages and people choose to believe what they think is the best explanation. However, they still believe that Government should do its best, since fuel is the engine to a successful economy.
If Government today was to introduce the coupon system for fuel, how would the motoring public receive it.
Mr Smith’s advice to both private and commercial motorists remains applicable even today: “to continue to exercise the greatest economy, planning journeys and jobs so as to avoid waste, and to be conscious all the time that they are burning money.”
Online Reporter