By Decide Nhendo
Puma Energy Zimbabwe has officially opened its Masvingo industrial retail branch at a colorful ceremony that was officiated by Masvingo Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution Ezra Chadzamira on March 20.
The fuel station, which is located along Access Road, Masvingo Industrial Area attached to the new fast food outlet KFC becomes the third Puma service station in town with its first located next to Total service station along Robert Mugabe Road and another one located at Wimpy along Masvingo – BeitBridge road.
In his speech, at the event, Chadzamira described the move as a great catalyst to development towards the attainment of vision 2030 saying it was going to help accelerate development in all sectors of production and development as most business activities depend on fuel energy.
“I applaud the establishment of another Masvingo Puma Energy retail in Masvingo as it is going to foster progress and production since most of our businesses including mining, tourism and agriculture need fuel as energy so all sectors are going to benefit from this retail,” Chadzamira said.
Chadzamira also said the development done by Puma Energy Zimbabwe in Masvingo was in line with the country’s Vision 2030 and National Development Strategy (NDS1) mantra which targets to ensure development in all sectors and all places in the country to ensure that by 2030 Zimbabwe will be an upper middle income economy.
Speaking at the commissioning event, Puma Energy Zimbabwe General Manager Donatien Kodog said Masvingo industrial Puma Energy retail was established in order to keep bringing energy to communities as the company’s mandate.
He said the company’s main vision was to procure clean and safe fuel to all communities in the country including communities which are not easily accessible and said they had almost all motor lubricants at their retails.
“Masvingo Puma Energy retail was established so as to provide fuel to the Masvingo community as it is our mandate to procure clean and safe fuel to all our customers and I am sure the business community is going to benefit a lot from this,” said Kodog.
In Zimbabwe the energy firm now has 52 service stations countrywide, servicing four airports, operating one terminal and has four storage depots and mainly sell fuel, lubricants, refreshments and convenience shopping needs.
Kodog expressed the company’s commitment to solarize their retail network in the company, of which part of the broader plan is to install 300 solar systems across their network to help fight escalating climate change effects that are hazardous to environment.
The business community in Masvingo welcomed the move and described it as an added advantage that was going to fuel development as they now access fuel from one of major fuel giants in the country.
“Puma Energy Zimbabwe is one of the major fuel service providers in the country and globally, I am sure this development is going to help us with safe and clean fuel especially in my line of business as a taxi operator who plies Masvingo-Mashava route,” said Simbarashe Muchato.
One of small scale farmers from Mushandike John Machabi said the pump is a blessing as he is going to access clean fuel on his way in or out of town as he supplies his goods to Chitima market.
There is a proliferation of fuel service stations in Masvingo Town with another new station being Express Service station located in Hofmeyer Street near Makurira Memoral Clinic.
