More diesel waits at Beira in Mozambique but will not be released unless the state oil procurement agency, Noczim, pays up front. Petrol is also dwindling, with less than three days' supply left. Stations have been rationing petrol since Tuesday at 20 litres per customer. Drivers of commuter buses and 4x4s wait at Harare's main depot, follow diesel tankers as they leave, and pass the information on to colleagues via cellphones. The few stations that have diesel call the riot police before announcing it.
Queues stretch for miles, causing traffic jams and fights.
Bus fleets have been grounded, passengers stranded, cargo undelivered. In Harare, workers wait up to three hours to catch a bus. Some commuters get up at 4am, stake a place in the queue, perhaps by leaving an older child, and go back to sleep for a couple of hours. Operating at a loss, fuel filling stations are working short hours and considering lay-offs. Rubbish lies uncollected.