Posted by 
Zimbabwe’s formal economy has been struggling to survive whilst the informal sector has become the key to livelihood. There seems to be a change for the better in many sectors including the fuel sector where service stations now have good stocks of the precious liquid. But black market activities have not ended completely. As one drives up to the pumps in most service stations a swarm of young boys approach you selling coupons at a price cheaper than that pump price.
One wonders how this illegal business is viable given that the fuel price is on the rise the world over? My talk to one informal trader of coupons provided a shocking revelation, which left me close to bursting with anger. He said some people have diesel coupons yet they want petrol so they negotiate an exchange with these dealers who in turn charge a fee for the deal. It also emerged that some people have easy access to coupons, which they sell at a discount on the black market. It also emerged that the key suppliers of fuel are government officials including Members of Parliament who offload thousands of liters on the black market in the form of coupons.
The vendor revealed that yesterday (17 June 2010) some of his colleagues had a fight over about 5000 liters of fuel coupons, which a certain MP had come to offload at the BP Service Station on the corner of Fourth Street and Samora Machel Avenue. The dealers normally buy one 25-litter fuel coupon at US$22 and sell at US$25. The MP is said to have come with two full books of coupons of which one is 2500 liters worth of coupons. The MP is said to have asked the boys to offer good money, and they started bidding against each other, until they could buy the two books at US$24 per coupon.
The fight and the supply of fuel is not my problem; but the problem is where do these MPs get that much of fuel to sell on the black market? It becomes suspicious especially at a time when these MPs are set to take on a big role in the constitution making process. To make the deal more suspicious the MP is reported to have refused to receive the money on the spot. Instead he offered to carry the boys to some unnamed hotel to finish the deal. The government is broke and civil servants are sacrificing themselves to work without enough take-home money. Yet the politicians are busy lining their pockets with national resources. Lately the MPs have been demanding unrealistically hefty rewards for taking part in the constitution making process.
If they get these coupons from the government, one wonders how one person is given that many coupons at once? The administration has a case to answer. It is really disappointing to note that corrupt tendencies are at the top of the government. How will we heal the economy when the healing system comprises rotten elements? The first healing step is to bring these elements to book. Who then should lead the investigation and the arrest of these people?
I can safely assume this an MDC-T MP. ZANU PF MPs do not enjoy this kind of media protection. We would be having the name if the MP was not a member of the people’s party.
I am still working on identifying the “alleged” perpetrators of this scam…We don’t discriminate between corrupt officials political affiliations…(Editor)
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
you got it right wenjere. That was a clever analysis.
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
The guilty are afraid!! chuckle.
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
We need names so that we shame these people but kana pasina zita inoita kunge fiction.Tell us zvese zviri kuitika even looting yeRBZ ,Chiadzwa etc.
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
you can get names for anything else but not this issue i am sure
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
why not zanu mahobho?
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
what about zanu?
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
Why are people under the illusion that MDC-T MPs are angels and Zanu pf are devils?Politicians are crooks by nature.I expect MDC ones to steal even more so that they can catch up to their Zanu colleagues.
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
MDC-T MPs will be dealt with, as they did with Chitungwiza council. ZANU, well, its ZANU.
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
So lets let out the name and see what action is this guy going to face in the event he is mdc.
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
Why are people under the illusion that MDC-T MPs are angels and Zanu pf are devils? Because history says so.
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
ko iyo nyaya yemacoupon inimborevei? I thought fuel was now bought at service stations and is always available. Macoupon ndeeyi? cou;d somebody explain what is happening please. Why do people need coupons to get fuel?
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
Thats a question for biti and mudzuri? Something fishy really happening there.
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
Good question sir.I thought coupons were a thing of the past.But like they say, do you know what thought did? He thought he was farting but shat himself.chuckle!!!
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
Thought as much too
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
Fuel coupons are used by govt or parly officials to get fuel from CMED. You don’t need money only coupons issued to MPs and others on govt business, usually fuel is poured into gvot registered vehicles.
Whoever is selling them is basically channelling proceeds into his own pocket and not doing govt or parly business.
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
The problem is poverty.You cant give me a salary of USD300 and then fuel coupons worth USD500.Common sense dictates that I sell them and look after my family.Unless you have a family that drinks petrol.chuckle!!!
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
If you enter govt service hoping to feed your family then you are entering with the intention of stealing and being corrupt from day one. Perhaps it would be best in such a situation to stay in the private sector, use your education and better your family through legal means. This kind of mentality that everything is because of poverty is restricted to the uneducated like the SA thugs who blame apartheid for their lack of basic skills and education and think any opportunity to kill, rob and plunder is a God given opportunity. The end does not justify the means. If you feed your family with stolen or ill-gotten goods you are polluting them. If you care so much about them then you would do well to heed the old adage that “love thy neighbour” in this instance, who is your neighbour? Anyone and everyone who is likely to be injured in body, mind and pocket by your actions. So your family, if you are an elected/appointed civil servant, is those who fall under your jurisdiction or who will be affected by your actions in diverting fuel to your immediate family’s needs.
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
ndati zvine musoro here kuti wonditambirisa peturu inopfuura mari?Izvi zvowotaura zvinemusoro asi hazvinei nezvandanga ndichibvunza.Who do you then want to work in gvt for charity?
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
Macoupons ndiwo mamwe mabenefits ehuMP, anopiwa mamembers ecabinet nemaMPs as well. Thats one of the reasons y things are not really progressing back home coz the moment one starts enjoying these perks, they forget and loose focus.
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
MDC-T MPs are hungry.Till they fill their pockets, they wont withdraw.You are right Musango.Unfortunately cheerleaders wont see that from where they are sitting.
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
Zanu lost the plot a few years after “independence” and they have never recovered, and never will. Keep spinning, that’s the deliverable you are paid for.
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
Isabela talk sense.
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
I got the name of the MP. He is from MDC-T and also from Masvingo province.
Please share with us wenjere:.(editor)
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
Nice bit of investigation work here but you could have gone further. Understandably, resources are limited but we should give those involved in such activities no door to wiggle out of this. Perhaps some discrete cameras and posing as a fuel dealer and catching them red handed. I do concur that this has to be an MDC MP but let him be outed. The movement will survive his outing, humiliation and subsequent discipline and removal from the assembly. However, it will not survive if he remains in place doing this. It seems their operations are open and unashamedly carried out in broad daylight. There must be scoops all over town then. it’s too late to out the man now if there is no hard evidence. Can those coupons be traced to see the origins?
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
i am beining to dout this story. please soothsayer who is this crook?
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
I look forward to the follow up story. Speculation is just that. Whether the perp is MDC T, MDC M or Zanu, expose corruption, deal with the problem and then move on. (If the perp is MDC T I doubt he’ll be expelled as they need all the MPs they’ve got.)
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
You are correct John.
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
Bravery is calling sin by its name in afriend or an enemy. We dont want corruption because it increases the cost of living unnecessarily, it makes life extremely difficult for the poor. We expect the independent Zimbabwe-Metro paper to look at the politicians from a naked point of view.
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
its Tendai Biti….
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
abosolute power corrupts absolutely……….the MDC have become part of the problem they are trying to fight. The painful truth is that in Zimbabwe politicians will be corrupt until we over haul our administrative system saka with the current system whether its ZANU, ZAPU MDC or Mavambo they will be corrupt after all MPs earn 230 USD and yet they fight, shed blood and do all sort of things just to get into power and those that think that MPS hustle so that they can earn 230USD must surely think this again……these ‘Special Benefits’ are what they fight and kill for
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
Many people criticised me when I pointed out that President Mugabe is a strategist. The simple strategy here is that one who has been reduced to extreme poverty for example a farm worker; give that person a suit “musana wegarwe” from Harrods that person will be thankfull for the whole life. Now the members of opposition were struggling with life like anybody else and all of a sudden they are exposed to goddies. Technically they behave as a bird that has been freed from a cage. This is not the end of the story. President Mugabe is watching all this and is recording, remember President Mugabe is a lawyer by training. When the opposition members try to attack ZANU PF at political rallies, President Mugabe will open the files. Many will defect to ZANU in order to avoid prosecusion and in that way the opposition will be gone. This is the strategy that the cunning fox is using. You may think that the crocodile is quiet and asleep at your own risk.
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
Aiwa dzimas, ukapinza ruoko muguru rine nyoka inokuruma, haimbokuregedza. These guys they no the opposition is having a tiger watch on their movements. Suprisingly they go on to do very silly things like councillors taking houses from pple. And if its true its mdc guy selling those coupons then whose fault is it? Everyone in politics wld capitalise on such a silly move.
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
Maybe we need the nation to be run on Christian principles otherwise we will remain poor in avery rich country. Today ZANU PF is corrupt tomorrow MDC will be correct. We dont need this evil called corruption. In some countries they kill people who steal public funds. It is always the defenceless poor people who will pay in the end.
Like or Dislike:
0 
0