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Nqobile Tshili, Chronicle Correspondent
THE Minister of State for Bulawayo Provincial Affairs Cde Judith Ncube yesterday visited a Flo Petroleum service station in the city to calm tempers after motorists forced the facility to temporarily close over a racial dispute with management.

Motorists had accused workers at the service station located along Plumtree Road in Belmont of selling fuel to white people only, a claim proprietors dismissed, saying they were supplying the commodity to pensioners only.

Angry motorists camped at the station vowing that they were not leaving before getting the fuel.

The Minister, who last month announced the setting up of a multi-sectoral taskforce, intervened and ordered that all who were in the queue be sold the commodity.

The Chronicle newscrew visited the fuel station at about 2PM and motorists alleged that they were being segregated on the basis of the colour of their skin.

“We observed them refuelling tanks of white people’s vehicles only. When we also went in to fill up our tanks they said it was only being sold to pensioners which baffled us. We observed them selling petrol to some white guys others even younger than some of us. This is segregatory behaviour bordering on racism which I thought we are way past as a country,” said Mr Bakani Moyo (41).

Another motorist said this forced them to confront the petroleum station’s management on their racist conduct.

Flo Petroleum director Mr Warren King denied the racism allegations. He said they had reserved the fuel for pensioners after realising that they were suffering queueing for fuel.

“This man came up here and I told him that this service station today is catering for pensioners. And he just started calling me a racist, white what what. I said honestly I’m not that. I’ve adopted brothers, blacks whatever they are my brothers. I’m not a racist I’m here to serve the public and to help as many people as I can,” said Mr King.

The company’s operations manager Mr Patience Chiringa said Flo Petroleum had posted information on its social media accounts that on Tuesday it was only servicing pensioners’ vehicles.

After engaging both parties, Cde Ncube, called for mutual respect and better communication strategies from organisations.

“They refuted that they were racially discriminating clients. The management informed us that they had reserved Tuesday as a day they sell fuel to pensioners,” said Cde Ncube.

“So our question was if it was the case, how do pensioners get to know about the arrangement? And they said they upload the information to their social media accounts such as Twitter. So my question is how many pensioners use the social media platforms?”

Cde Ncube said instead of posting on social media they should create a banner to be posted on their premises. She said following submissions by the motorists it was agreed that those who were on the queue be allowed to buy fuel from the same station.

— @nqotshili