Fuel by ’special arrangement’
Tomorrow is opening day for Trade Fair 2005. The local rag reported yesterday that “NOCZIM has made a special arrangement with 12 service stations in Bulawayo that will sell fuel during the ZITF this week”. There are two things about this that struck me as being totally shameless.
Firs
tly, the fact that they have made this arrangement to see us through this week alone. What about after the Trade Fair? A quick fix solution to quickly disperse the daily queues so the few international exhibitors think all is well.
The second is that the owners of these twelve ‘chosen’ service stations have openly agreed to this ‘arrangement’. Why, I wonder? It does not seem to concern them that the rest of the country will see something sinister in the deal. For convenience, they are listed in the paper: Modern Motors, BP Shell (showgrounds) will be selling at the NOCZIM price. Others listed are Exor Main Street, Comoil Airport Road, BP Shell Retreat, Mobil Ascot, Total Victoria Service Station.
Oh, and I must mention something to all unsuspecting Zimbabweans here who think they may stand an equal chance of receiving some of this fuel. BP Shell (showgrounds) service station is the same garage that refused to provide service to a friend of mine when she could not produce a zanu-pf party membership card. I expect our new friends from the ‘look east’ campaign will have no problem here, so, for this week alone, we will once again be able to give the impression that all is normal - free and fair in Zimbabwe.
