The theft of fuel from fire brigade or ambulance service departments is not only plausible—it is a documented and recurring form of corruption globally. A Bulawayo case, in which an official allegedly siphoned 20,000 litres of diesel over three years, reveals how systemic loopholes, weak oversight, and internal protection can enable such crimes. Here’s a brief analysis:

How Easy Is It to Steal Fuel from a Fire Service?

1. Weak Logbook Oversight: If mileage isn’t tracked electronically or the odometer is broken (as in the Bulawayo case), it’s easy to hide extra refueling trips.
2. Internal Collusion: Fuel theft often requires more than one person, such as store clerks, supervisors, or fuel station staff to falsify records.
3. Vehicle Misuse: Using emergency vehicles for personal errands or unofficial purposes can mask excessive fuel consumption.
4. Inadequate Auditing: Periodic or absent audits allow theft to go unnoticed for years.

Plausibility

Highly plausible. Emergency services operate with public trust and urgency, which can be manipulated under the cover of essential service. Fuel allocation is usually based on expected mileage, which is easy to inflate or fake, especially if digital monitoring systems are absent.

Documented Historical Cases

Here are five notable cases globally where fuel theft in emergency or municipal services was exposed:

1. South Africa (2018) – In Durban, municipal workers were arrested for siphoning thousands of litres of diesel from city-owned vehicles. They operated a syndicate involving city ambulances and refuse trucks.
2. Mexico (2019) – Widespread “huachicolero” operations involved siphoning fuel from state-owned Pemex, including stolen supplies intended for municipal vehicles, including fire engines.
3. Russia (2020) – A fire station commander in Rostov-on-Don was arrested for illegally selling fuel intended for fire trucks, using manipulated fuel logs and fake mileage reports.
4. India (2022) – In Bihar, several government vehicles including fire brigade trucks were reported to be part of a fuel theft scam where drivers sold subsidized diesel on the black market.
5. Nigeria (2021) – In Lagos, emergency and municipal vehicle fuel allocations were fraudulently diverted to black market sales, with some implicated staff from fire services.

The Bulawayo case fits a broader pattern seen in many developing and transitional economies where institutional oversight is weak. The use of broken meters, inflated fuel claims, and opaque accountability frameworks creates a conducive environment for such thefts. These cases underscore the need for digitized tracking, transparent audits, and whistleblower protections in public service departments.

By Farai D Hove | ZimEye | Bulawayo – A massive corruption scandal has rocked the Bulawayo City Council’s Fire and Ambulance Services Department as the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) confirms it has launched an investigation into the alleged theft of over 20,000 litres of diesel—fuel meant for life-saving emergency response vehicles.

At the centre of the investigation is a senior manager in the Ambulance Services division who allegedly exploited a broken speedometer in a designated Command Vehicle—a Toyota Land Cruiser—to siphon fuel over a three-year period. Sources close to the case revealed the vehicle was routinely double-filled without mileage being logged, with fuel later decanted and sold to illegal dealers in Nketa Six suburb.

According to whistleblowers within the council, the manager filled the vehicle with up to 200 litres per week, far exceeding the consumption needs of a vehicle averaging only 40km per day. In stark contrast, fully operational ambulances covering over 300km weekly received less fuel. The discrepancy, insiders allege, was long known within internal circles but never addressed—raising suspicions of protection from high-ranking officials.

Bulawayo Mayor David Coltart, responding via X (formerly Twitter), pledged transparency, stating that the internal audit findings would be made public.

The scandal, while shocking, is far from isolated.

Experts note that fuel theft in emergency and municipal services is a recurring form of corruption across the globe. In South Africa, a similar scam in Durban saw city ambulance drivers arrested for siphoning thousands of litres of diesel. In Russia, a fire station commander manipulated fuel logs to resell fuel. From India to Nigeria and Mexico, fuel theft schemes—often involving collusion, falsified records, and broken oversight mechanisms—have siphoned millions of dollars from the public purse.

“Fuel theft from fire or ambulance departments is disturbingly plausible,” said a corruption researcher. “When logbooks are manually kept and internal audits are weak, it creates the perfect storm for long-term siphoning.”

The Bulawayo case has also revealed disturbing operational implications: only 7 of the city’s 30 ambulances remain functional amid reported fuel shortages and breakdowns, while the Command Vehicle implicated in the scam continued to consume a disproportionate share of resources.

ZACC spokesperson Simiso Mlevu confirmed the commission is awaiting the outcome of the council’s internal audit. Meanwhile, the implicated manager remains in service.

As investigations proceed, the scandal raises urgent questions about governance, accountability, and the state of emergency services in Zimbabwe’s second-largest city.- ZimEye