Online Reporter
Harmony Agere
LEGISLATORS have thrown their weight behind the proposed Pipelines Amendment Bill, which seeks to impose stiffer penalties for vandalism and illegal activities threatening the Beira–Feruka–Msasa fuel pipeline and other oil pipelines in the country.
Presenting the Bill for its second reading in Parliament, Energy and Power Development Deputy Minister Yeukai Simbanegavi said the Government was tightening the law to address escalating cases of vandalism, illegal construction and encroachments along the
pipeline reserve.
“The Beira–Feruka–Masasa pipeline has increasingly come under threat,” she said.
“We recently recorded damage caused by excavation equipment during land preparation between Nyazura and Mt Tikwiri. Such incidents endanger lives, compromise the integrity of the network and impose huge financial costs on the State.”
Under the current Pipelines Act [Chapter 13:08], offences such as illegal digging or construction within the 25-metre pipeline reserve attract minimal fines, as low as US$100 or three months’ imprisonment.
Lawmakers agreed these penalties were too lenient to deter offenders.
The proposed amendments raise the stakes:
- Illegal digging or construction along the pipeline corridor would attract fines of up to Level 10 or imprisonment for up to six years
- Causing damage to the pipeline or its accessories would carry a mandatory minimum jail term of 10 years, with no option of a fine — aligning with the Electricity and Copper Control Act
- The restricted distance from the pipeline centre will also increase from 25 metres to 125 metres on either side, with new prohibitions covering activities such as mining and blasting
Deputy Minister Simbanegavi said the amendments were critical to preserving national fuel security and reducing costly repairs that divert funds from development priorities.
“Every dollar lost to vandalism is a dollar taken away from efforts to expand energy access, improve fuel distribution and lower costs to citizens,” she told the August House.
Clause 4 of the Bill empowers the National Oil Infrastructure Company (NOIC), the designated pipeline authority, to inspect and maintain the pipeline reserve, including within private farms.
NOIC officers will be authorised to seize equipment used for illegal activities and stop unauthorised works.
The Bill also introduces a regulation-making section enabling the Minister to specify permissible agricultural and pastoral activities within the pipeline corridor.
Deputy Minister Simbanegavi said this provision would strike “a careful balance between safeguarding energy infrastructure and supporting the livelihoods of farmers”.
If enacted, the amendments will strengthen legal protections for the Feruka pipeline, the country’s main conduit for imported petroleum products and reinforce Zimbabwe’s broader energy security framework.
