Botswana’s energy regulator has delivered the kind of message fuel station operators would rather not receive: fix your act or close shop.
In what amounts to a regulatory version of ‘clean your room or move out,’ the Botswana Energy Regulatory Authority (BERA) says non-compliant filling stations will face shutdowns as it intensifies enforcement across the sector.
And this is not about crooked price boards or a missing mop.
Gift Bakumbi, BERA’s director of gas and petroleum, says inspectors are encountering infractions serious enough to make any risk manager spill their coffee.
‘We are dealing with numerous infractions, including leaking fuel pipes that threaten groundwater contamination, improper use of jerrycans, and failure to adhere to basic safety standards,’ Bakumbi said.
Translation: some operators appear to have mistaken petroleum retail for an improvisational hobby.
BERA has already shut down one filling station in Ramokgwebana, signalling that the regulator is done issuing polite warnings and hoping for self-reflection.
The numbers explain the frustration.
When BERA first began inspections, 84 out of 140 filling stations failed compliance checks. That is less ‘isolated incidents’ and more ‘sector-wide personality trait.’
For fuel retailers, the commercial implications are real. Compliance upgrades cost money. Infrastructure repairs are expensive. Temporary closures hurt revenue.
But so does setting the groundwater on fire.
BERA’s broader argument is straightforward: fuel retail is not a casual enterprise where duct tape and optimism qualify as safety systems.
Since officially beginning operations in September 2017, BERA has become one of Botswana’s youngest but most impactful regulatory bodies.