Shady service stations around South Africa are continuing to sell dirty diesel to unsuspecting motorists in a bid to sidestep tax responsibilities and boost profits.
In January 2024, the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE) uncovered at least 70 filling stations around the nation selling adulterated diesel that was watered down with illuminating paraffin.
It subsequently launched a nationwide investigation to determine the true extent of the unlawful practice and to bring the dishonest retailers to justice.
Today, just over seven months later, the Executive Director of the Fuels Industry Association of South Africa (FIASA), Fani Tshifularo, revealed that the issue of dirty diesel sales remains prevalent and discussions are ongoing regarding how the authorities can put a stop to it.
“The issue itself has not died out, there are still reported cases of people who are continuing to mix diesel with paraffin,” Tshifularo told SABC News.
“It’s one of those areas that [FIASA] discussed with government and law enforcement agencies, to look into how can we jointly tackle this issue.”
Illuminating paraffin is not subject to the same taxes and levies as diesel, hence, government is losing a tremendous amount of tax revenue from the sale of adulterated diesel.
“The investigation in terms of where government is in terms of enforcement, I’m not so sure about that, but we do know that we continue to look into these issues to look at other options in terms of how we can combat these illegal activities,” said Tshifularo.
Telltale signs of a service station selling dirty diesel
With adulterated diesel still being a pervasive issue in South Africa, it’s imperative motorists are aware of the telltale signs of a service station that could be involved in the unscrupulous practice.
DMRE spokesperson Robert Maake said drivers must look at the price for a possible hint that a filling stop is selling dodgy fuels.
“If you go to a service station and you find that the diesel price is too good to be true, you get a discount of more than R1.00/litre compared to other stations around, then you must be suspicious of that kind of diesel,” he said.
Fortunately, he noted that it is unlikely to be an issue at name-brand fuel stations owned by major oil companies.
The 70 implicated stations that were found to be offloading contaminated products were mostly independent dealers and “newer brands”, some of which didn’t even have a licence to trade fuel, said Maake.
The dangers of filling up a vehicle with adulterated diesel are plentiful.
Fuels are designed with the perfect mix of components to offer adequate lubrication for the engine, however, paraffin does not have the same lubrication properties and therefore accelerates the deterioration of the motor.
Another issue is that paraffin has a lower flashpoint than diesel (the minimum temperature at which fuel produces enough vapour to ignite), which can lead to engine knocking – a phenomenon when fuel burns unevenly in a system that can damage components.
The contaminated fuel can also cause the propulsion system to run at a much higher temperature than it was designed for.
These problems are magnified in newer cars, as the global push for better emission standards means they are now expected to burn on cleaner fuels.
As a final blow to victims of the crime, most manufacturer warranties do not cover engine damage arising from contaminated diesel as the motor is not built to consume paraffin, meaning consumers will instead have to claim the damages from their insurer.
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