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Munyaradzi Musiiwa, Midlands Correspondent
A GWERU Service Station Central along Harare Road has come under the spotlight after it defied a Government directive to accept all forms of payment including EcoCash as it is turning away customers who wish to purchase fuel using the mobile money platform.
The Government recently came down hard on errant service stations countrywide, closing them for refusing electronic modes of payment and only accepting hard cash. Ruyamuro Service Stations in Glendale, Harare and Nzvimbo Growth Point in Chiweshe were shut down for refusing alternative payment methods, except cash. Engen at the corner of Harare Street and Robert Mugabe Road was closed for the same reason.
Energy and Power Development Minister Fortune Chasi recently said Government, through the Zimbabwe Energy Regulatory Authority (Zera), was in the process of revoking licences for filling stations breaching the law, following several warnings a few months ago.
Many motorists were left stranded after the Gweru garage refused to accept EcoCash. A motorist Mr Timothy Takaendesa alleged that the garage had turned him away after he asked to pay using EcoCash.
“I was told that they do not accept EcoCash. We have read in the newspapers that Government is closing filling stations that are refusing EcoCash but this one does not accept EcoCash and nothing has happened to it,” he said.
When the Sunday News crew tried to buy fuel at the garage, fuel attendants told the crew that the garage does not accept EcoCash.
“We only take EcoCash at the kiosk,” said the owner of the garage, before walking away, refusing to entertain the media.
Minister Chasi recently said some filling stations were refusing electronic modes of payment because they wanted cash to enable them to buy foreign currency on the black market, despite accessing foreign currency through normal channels.
Bongani Ndlovu