By Correspondent
Chitungwiza Municipality is moving to fast-track a policy governing the location of fuel stations, as Zimbabwe grapples with a proliferation of filling stations.
The massive increase has increasingly blurred the line between commercial development and residential safety.
The decision follows a Parliamentary inspection of fuel stations in Chitungwiza by the Portfolio Committee on Energy and Power Development, chaired by MP Charlton Hwende.
The Committee is examining the allocation of stands and compliance with regulatory requirements.
Mayor Rosaria Mangoma said the proposed policy would establish clear rules on the location and construction of fuel stations.
This will include their proximity to homes, schools and other public facilities.
“The policy will address issues such as the appropriate distance between fuel service stations and residential areas, schools and other public facilities,” she said.
Growing Concern
The Chitungwiza initiative exposes a national planning problem that is becoming increasingly difficult to ignore.
In March, the Environmental Management Agency told Parliament that more than 600 fuel stations were operating in Harare alone.
It described the figure as fluid and raised concerns over proliferation, land-use changes and regulatory gaps.
The Legal Conundrum
The regulatory maze is part of the problem.
ZERA regulates petroleum licensing and compliance, while environmental assessments and local-authority planning processes also come into play.
EMA has previously clarified that it does not allocate land for fuel stations, but conducts environmental assessment processes.
ZERA’s 2024 inspections of 339 service stations found that 47% received its lowest one-star rating.
This highlighted wider questions about standards and compliance in the sector.
Chitungwiza’s proposed policy therefore touches a national fault line on who decides where fuel stations belong.
The municipality’s attempt to impose clearer local planning rules could provide a test of whether urban authorities can bring order to a fuel-station boom that has spread far beyond the traditional commercial corridors.
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