26 Feb 2026

Botswana Energy Regulatory Authority (BERA) has isolated and quarantined about 3.3 million litres of Unleaded Petrol 95 (ULP95) following allegations of suspected contamination.

In a statement, BERA says the decision followed reports that the state-owned Botswana Oil has received substandard contaminated fuel suspected to contain lead metals from the National Petroleum Corporation of Namibia (Namcor).

BERA Chief Executive Officer, Dr Never Tshabang, confirmed in an interview that the fuel was suspected to contain lead and manganese, metallic additives explicitly prohibited under Botswana’s fuel standards, specifically the Botswana Standard on Unleaded Petrol (BOS 577), which excludes any metallic additives.

“The Botswana Standard on unleaded petrol (BOS 577) clearly excludes metals. The authority has since conducted its own tests on the fuel quality from Namcor, hence the decision to isolate, quarantine and halt distribution of the suspected quantity,” he said.

Dr Tshabang cautioned that additives containing metals were banned in the early 2000s due to environmental and health concerns. He explained that the presence of lead and manganese in fuel could have toxic effects and may lead to respiratory complications if inhaled in large quantities.

He said both BERA and Botswana Oil were committed to ensuring that fuel supplied and used in Botswana meets accepted standards at all times. Dr Tshabang therefore urged motorists to remain observant of their vehicles’ fuel consumption and engine performance, and to report any abnormal signals or engine performance problems linked to fuel consumption.

Meanwhile, Botswana Oil refuted the allegations in a media release, stating that the company has a comprehensive internal quality assurance process applied across the entire fuel supply chain from sourcing through storage to delivery to customers.

“Upon arrival of fuel at Botswana Oil depots, routine quality assurance screening is conducted as part of standard operating procedures. In the event the screening indicates that the sample independent accredited laboratory for validation testing. Only once the validation results confirm compliance with required specifications is the product accepted into storage,” reads the release.

Botswana Oil added that quality checks are also conducted prior to loading products for customers to ensure continued compliance.

The company further stated that during January 2026 it imported ULP95 from Namibia and, in line with its quality assurance procedures, all product was screened to ensure compliance with required specifications. According to the release, Botswana Oil has not received any complaints or reports of engine damage or performance issues linked to the supplied fuel.

Botswana Oil, which was established to help achieve government objectives of ensuring national fuel security, said the isolation of the 3.3 million litres could in the short term have ripple effects on fuel availability in the country, potentially pushing prices up if supply falls short of demand. BOPA