Some 400 tankers carrying fuel from East Africa are reportedly parked up at the head of the Tazama Oil Pipe Line (TOPL) at Zambia's commercial capital city of Ndola.

The vehicles cannot offload the fuel they are carrying because letters of credit (L/Cs) required from Zambia's Ministry of Mines, Energy and Water Development (MMEWD) have not yet been delivered to the supplier.

Awaiting documents

The fuel tankers from Tanzania and Kenya are carrying fuel for oil trader, Trafigura.

According to an MMEWD official, Trafigura has refused to offload fuel until it receives L/Cs from the government.

The official claims that the government had not obtained the L/Cs required due to problems with its bankers.

Dangerous situation

Trucks have been marooned outside TOPL for at least a week, while some reports suggest the vehicles have been there for up to three weeks.

Drivers have reported that the situation has become dangerous, since local people have started to siphon off fuel from the stranded tankers.

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