The Zimbabwe United Passenger Company (Zupco) suspended operations at its main Belvedere depot in Harare over a suspected internal fuel scam, which has plunged the ailing public transport system into deeper chaos, it has emerged.
Operations at Belvedere only resumed late last week.
Zupco buses and kombis were now operating from the Willowvale depot for refuelling and other services to pave the way for an investigation of some employees, who allegedly defrauded the parastatal of an undisclosed amount of cash in the fuel scam.
Some of the employees have since been suspended pending investigations, according to information obtained by this publication.
Zupco sources who spoke to The Standard said fraud and pilferage had become rampant at the parastatal as workers have gone for seven months without salaries since August last year.
“It was a brief relocation to the Willowvale depot to pave the way for investigations that are underway over a suspected fuel theft scandal,” a source said.
“Employees have not been paid so they are doing all sorts of things to get money.
“Drivers, conductors, cashiers, fuel attendants- everyone is involved in one scheme or the other to make ends meet.”
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Zupco drivers also complained that the parastatal was selling fuel to its own fleet at an inflated rate of US$1.80 per litre, which is above the normal pump price of US$1,67.
This was after the parastatal introduced a new refuelling system where bus crew had to buy their own fuel to cushion themselves from possible losses.
Each Zupco bus is required to pay for 45 litres of fuel for a single peri-urban trip, that is from Harare central business district to Norton and Domboshawa for instance.
However, for the 45 litres, the crew is required to pay US$81, which translates to US$1.80 according to documents in possession of The Standard.
For a long-distance trip -from Harare to Masvingo for instance- the bus crew is required to pay US$504 for 280 litres of fuel which translates to US$1.80 per litre.
“For each peri-urban trip, we are required to cash in US$50 after all the expenses, that is fuel and daily subsistence allowances,” a driver said.
“So we are forced to overload in most cases to ensure that we raise the US$50 because the fuel costs are a bit higher than at the local market.
“If you look at it, most Zupco buses will be carrying standing passengers to maximise earnings.
“If we fail to raise that US$50 we have no choice, but to dip into our pockets and ensure that we raise the required amount.
“Sometimes we forgo the daily subsistence allowances to ensure that we raise the US$50.”
Several efforts to contact Zupco chief executive officer Tineyi Rwasoka were in vain as he was not picking up calls the whole of last week.
No comment could be obtained from Zupco board chairperson Quinton Kanhukamwe as he was said to be in a meeting.
He was, howeve,r not picking up calls thereafter despite repeated efforts.
Drivers who spoke to The Standard on condition of anonymity said the move to suspend operations at the Belvedere depot had disrupted the transporting systems as the Willovale depot was overwhelmed.
The driver said the increase in the fleet had resulted in them spending hours in the queue to refuel at the depot, while some drivers would abort trips after failing to refuel on time.
“There is a lot of congestion at the Willowvale depot so, we are now spending the greater part of the day waiting to refuel in the queue,” another driver said.
“So we are no longer sticking to our usual timetables because there are a lot of delays at the depot.
“Even when we want to cash in our daily earnings we also spend a lot of time at the cash office.”
Zupco, whose ability to continue as a going concern was questioned by the auditor general (AG) in a report released in June last year, is failing to repair buses including those that President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s government has been importing from China and Belarus since he came into power six years ago.
The company incurred a $3.8 billion loss in 2020 and the AG’s report says “these conditions indicate the material existence of uncertainty that may cast significant doubt about the company’s ability to continue as a going concern.”
Its parlous state is making it difficult for the public transporter to buy spares to fix the broken down buses, which has seen its fleet disappearing from the roads, an investigation by The Standard last year revealed.
