By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Department of Mineral Resource and Energy (DMRE) investigation into fuel quality monitoring has uncovered that 70 petrol stations across the country are selling contaminated diesel that is watered down with illuminating paraffin to customers.
The department conducted an investigation between April to December last year.
This follows a multitude of fuel-testing laboratories in the country noting that they experienced an increase of up to 38% in large fuel consumers voluntarily submitting diesel samples for testing in 2023 compared to 2022.
The most likely motivation behind this unlawful practice is monetary gain, according to the DMRE.
Paraffin is not subjected to the sizeable taxes and levies that apply to fuel, and unlike petrol, diesel prices are not regulated. This allows filling stations to set their own prices in order to undercut the competition and draw in customers.
The department said it had issued non-compliance notices and reports of the offending petrol stations to the South African Revenue Service for tax evasion and prosecution.
The affected petrol stations had distributed the adulterated fuel across the country, raising concerns about the potential impact on vehicles and emphasising the dangers of mixing fuels, the ministry added.
Mineral Resources and Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe has previously warned against the illegal practice, stating that service stations found with adulterated diesel would face closure and prosecution.
Spokesperson Robert Maake said, “The department randomly visits fuel retailers and wholesalers to sample and test diesel. We test at least 1500 of retailers from the more than 5000 we have in the country. So, in the tests conducted between April and December 2023, 70 had adulterated diesel.”
Here are the figures for petrol stations found with fake diesel:
- Mpumalanga – 9;
- Limpopo – 15;
- North West – 13;
- KwaZulu-Natal – 13;
- Gauteng – 5;
- Western Cape – 4;
- Free State – 4;
- Eastern Cape – 1; and
- Northern Cape – 6
In the light of this, as well as the threat of fake diesel for vehicle consumption, the Fuel Retailers Association (FRA) and the Automobile Association (AA) called on the DMRE to take punitive steps against these filling stations.
Meanwhile, Democratic Alliance (DA) Western Cape spokesperson on Mobility, Derrick America, has called on Mantashe to release the names of the four petrol stations in the province which are “are engaged in the illicit practice of selling watered-down diesel mixed with illuminated paraffin”.
“Mantashe must ensure these petrol stations are named so that residents of the Western Cape can be made aware of the stations that are selling fake diesel. Not only are these fake diesel fuels being sold at the exact same price as approved diesel fuels, but could be very harmful to vehicles,” the DA MPP said.