Flo Petroleum, a company with a knack for selling contaminated fuel, has been fined $350 by Harare magistrate Mr. Gamuchirai Gore after being found guilty of selling fuel that would make your car go “ouch.”
The saga began on April 22, 2025, when Shakespear Kunaka, a fuel quality technician and inspector employed by the Zimbabwe Energy Regulatory Authority (ZERA), visited Flo Petroleum’s filling station located at 905 Arcturus Road, Donnybrook, Harare. Kunaka had received reports that the station was selling blend petrol contaminated with water. Upon inspection, Kunaka confirmed the complaints were valid – petrol from the nozzle showed signs of water contamination. Together with officials from the fuel company, he tested the tank using water-finding paste, which indicated the presence of water.
The following day, Flo Petroleum submitted fuel samples to ZERA’s laboratory. Tests revealed that the blend petrol failed to meet the minimum quality requirements as specified in the ZWS 964 Part 4:2012 standard. The contaminated fuel tank was subsequently sealed and secured as evidence.
This is not the first time Flo Petroleum has faced such charges. Last year, a Bulawayo magistrate fined the company $400 for similar violations. Additional allegations emerged on July 9, 2025, when Tinotenda Machingura, another ZERA inspector, sampled fuel at Flo Petroleum’s Burnside Service Station. Samples taken from an unleaded petrol pump managed by an employee named Singende were tested and found to contain 23 percent ethanol, contrary to the ZWS 753 standard, which prohibits ethanol in unleaded petrol.
The findings underscore ongoing concerns over fuel quality and regulatory compliance in Zimbabwe’s petroleum sector, highlighting the need for strict enforcement to protect consumers. Flo Petroleum has until July 25, 2025, to pay the fine. Let’s hope they use this as an opportunity to revamp their fuel quality control.
SOURCE- BusinessDaily
