Exclusive: Thuli Petroleum’s Kambuzuma Branch a ticking time bomb, fuel station located next to a braii area

Harare- THULI Petroleum’s Kambuzuma branch has received a a massive backlash from residents and enviromentalist, with revelations that the fuel station shares its space with a residential stand,Express Mail Zim can report.

The location of the fuel station leaves residents in a precarious situation and they are contemplating on writing a petition.

Express Mail Zim visited the site and can authoratatively report that it is located next to a residential stand, House number 706 Gokora Street, sharing a pre-cast wall.

This has raised numerous questions about the safety of both human life and the environment in the area.

Adding to the complexity, there is also a bar adjacent to the fuel station, sharing a durawall, thereby increasing the potential risks.

The co- existence of a bar, complete with a braai area, alongside a fuel station raises serious safety concerns, particularly considering the inherent dangers associated with the combination of fire and fuel, especially highly flammable substances like petrol.

Situated in Kambuzuma section 2, the site has prompted residents to question the legitimacy of the licenses obtained from both the Environmental Management Agency (EMA) and the Harare City Council.

“This is a dangerous situation and we fear for our lives everyday.

“We have asked our councillor to intervene and he promised to take action,” said a resident who identified himself as Tawanda Mugobogobo.

The proximity of such potentially hazardous facilities to residential areas poses a significant risk to the community.

Express Mail Zim had a vox pop with residents and there were a mixed reactions.

Some residents expressed fury over the situation, emphasizing the potential dangers it poses while others said it made easy access of fuel and free drinking water.

“Thuli provides us with clean drinking water for free and we are grateful.

“We dont care about its closeness(sic) to our houses,” said Kimberly Chimutashu a housewife who stays nearby.

Concerned residents said the Thuli Kambuzuma branch saga underscores the importance of rigorous safety assessments and regulatory compliance, urging relevant authorities to thoroughly investigate the matter to ensure the well-being of the community and prevent potential disasters.

Efforts to get comment from Thuli officials proved fruitless as their mobile phones were not reachable at the time of writing.

Meanwhile, a Harare magistrate recently fined Thuli Petroleum US$400 after finding it guilty of selling contaminated petrol.
The magistrate ordered the accused to purify the petrol and sell it only when it conforms to standards

The complainant was the Zimbabwe Energy Regulatory Authority (ZERA).

Thuli Petroleum was represented by Christoffel B. O’neil a male adult residing at 1 Uplands Close Highlands Harare.