Fuel shortages surface

Botswana sources nearly all of its fuel from South Africa, with 60 percent of this entering the country via road and the balance through rail. The strike has thus crippled the supply chain from refineries in South Africa to depots and filling stations in Botswana.

Yesterday afternoon, a snap survey of filling stations around Gaborone revealed that some did not have petrol products, while diesel was also running out. Managers at the affected stations said supply issues intensified around the Independence holiday, particularly for popular petrol products.