By Rex Mphisa
POLICE will descend heavily on illegal fuel traders accused of being responsible for the Tshitaudze Market disaster where traders lost large of amounts of goods worth several thousands of dollars in a fire.
The Zimbabwe Republic police (ZRP) also deplored the behaviour of looters who took advantage of the disaster and looted goods from the vendors who were already in another huge setback.
Speaking to Ziyah News Network on Wednesday the acting officer commanding Beitbridge Police District Superintendent Philisani Ndebele said the behaviour of looters was sad and a bad example set.
“We have people having a misfortune and during that some sees an opportunity to loot? That is honestly sad and unZimbabwean. We should instead be able to help but some take advantage of other people misfortune to further inflict losses,” said Ndebele.
Following reports of the looting, the ZRP deploted riot police to disperse crowds.
“But in that chaos it was difficult to see a genuine vendor and someone with bad intentions. Poor lighting at the market also affected the police operation,” he said.
Ndebele said police were going after the illegal fuel merchants whose carelessness is widely suspected responsible for the inferno tha has rocked Beitbridge.
“We are coming hard on these illegal fuel dealers,” he said.
At least 36 vendors lost thousands of dollars worth of a variety of goods during the Tuesday evening inferno that reduced a large section of the Tshitaudze Market to burnt wood stalls, charred rice and different other groceries.
Fuel merchants who sit on the roadsides daily selling cheaper and purer fuel than blended supplies on the conventional market are said to have been storing their reserves in the market.
The reserves fuelled up the inferno doused by the Municipality of Beitbridge praised for their sterling job.
“That as it maybe, we had always told the municipality officials these fuel storages were a disaster waiting to happen. I have lost goods worth R20 000 to the fire and several thousands to looters. I am stuck as I sit here,” said the woman holding back visible pain.
Beitbridge Municipality on Wednesday said it is still assessing the damage and mapping a way forward.
Meanwhile owners of service stations in Beitbridge are saying they have been driven out of business by pirate fuel merchants.
“They sell better fuel at cheaper prices and they have no overheads and they are getting the customers,” said one service station owner.
Illegal fuel merchants sell a litre at between $1.60 and $1.80 while the service stations charge above $2.17 for the same volumes.