While headlines focus on the relative stability of petrol and diesel prices, a quiet crisis is simmering on the kitchen stoves of Zimbabwe. In just sixty days, the cost of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) has surged by 25%, leaping from US$1.56/kg in March to US$1.95/kg today.
For the average urban family, this isn't just a "technical adjustment"—it’s a US$84 annual tax on the simple act of cooking.
To understand why a 9kg cylinder suddenly costs an extra US$3.51, we must look past the regulator’s press releases and trace a supply chain currently being squeezed from both ends: global volatility and local opacity.
The journey of your gas begins in the Persian Gulf, primarily at terminals in Qatar or the UAE.
To reach your stove, it must first navigate the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow waterway handling roughly 20% of the world’s LPG.
With the ongoing conflict involving Iran, this maritime "jugular vein" is pulsing with risk.
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For Zimbabwe, the consequences are immediate.
Ships are paying "war risk" insurance premiums just to enter the Gulf, and if the Strait is deemed too dangerous, tankers must reroute around the Cape of Good Hope, adding 14 days of travel and astronomical operational costs.
Acting Energy minister Zhemu Soda warned in March that Zimbabwe had a two to three month buffer; that buffer has now evaporated, leaving consumers fully exposed to the heat of global spot prices.
Once the gas reaches the Port of Beira and travels to the Feruka terminal in Mutare, the explanation for the price hike shifts from global conflict to local control.
Unlike petrol and diesel, which are often subject to rigid government stabilisation funds to prevent transport strikes, LPG sits in a more precarious regulatory space.
Furthermore, the infrastructure used to bring fuel into the country remains heavily consolidated.
Reports highlight that the politically connected nature of Zimbabwe's fuel supply chain—largely dominated by entities like Sakunda Holdings—creates an opaque pricing environment.
When a supply chain is controlled by a few players, the "margin" applied at each step becomes a black box.
Are we paying for the war in the Gulf, or are we paying for the "middleman premium" of a monopolised system?
The most glaring question for the Zimbabwean consumer is why LPG is skyrocketing while Diesel 50 and Blend E20 remain frozen.
As of mid-May 2026, Zera has kept petrol and diesel at approximately US$2.08–US$2.09 per litre.
The technical explanation lies in strategic priority: the government views transport fuel as "macro-critical."
If diesel rises, the price of bread and commuting rises instantly, risking civil unrest.
LPG, however, is still treated as a secondary fuel despite being the primary energy source for millions of urban households facing erratic electricity.
By allowing LPG to rise while stabilizing diesel, the state is effectively allowing the most vulnerable households to bear the brunt of the "market" while protecting the industrial status quo.
Your gas bill is rising because of a "perfect storm" of bad luck and bad policy.
We are geographically hostage to the tensions in the Persian Gulf and economically hostage to a local supply chain that lacks genuine competition.
Until the Ministry of Energy provides a transparent, line-item breakdown of the margins added between the Port of Beira and the Msasa depots, Zimbabweans will continue to wonder if they are paying for a global crisis or simply fueling the profits of the country's most powerful middlemen.