Online Reporter
Sikhumbuzo Moyo,Check Point | B-Metro
A SLICK diesel scandal has exploded at Bulawayo City Council’s Fire and Ambulance Services Department — with over 20 000 litres of fuel mysteriously vanishing in a well-oiled scam that played out over three years!
Sources say the man at the centre of the fuel heist is none other than a senior manager running the ambulance services, who allegedly turned his Toyota Land Cruiser — meant for emergencies — into a personal cash cow on wheels.
The vehicle, known as the Command Vehicle (Reg: AAA 6540), reportedly had a dead speedometer — and the crafty manager milked that loophole dry. With no mileage being logged, he would double dip at Council depots, filling up on Mondays, decanting the fuel, and then refuelling again at another depot on Wednesdays and Fridays.
“He was basically running a diesel delivery service,” an insider revealed. “He’d fill up at Khami Road stores, decant the fuel, then pop up at the Famona station like it was just another day at the office.”
Where did the fuel go? Investigations show it was being sold to black market dealers operating under a tree in Nketa Six — just a stone’s throw from Masiyepambili Drive.
Ironically, the Command Vehicle is supposed to be the first on scene during emergencies. But instead, it was allegedly cruising around town, clocking a mere 40km a day while guzzling 200 litres a week — 60L on Mondays, 80L on Wednesdays, and another 60L on Fridays.
The scam went undetected for years under the nose of the chamber secretary’s office, headed by Mrs Sikhangele Zhou.
This is a developing story… Stay tuned as B-Metro digs deeper!
