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HARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) - Acute gasoline shortages crippled transportation services in Zimbabwe on Sunday, stranding thousands of weary travelers at bus stops before a two-day holiday honoring guerrillas who fought against colonial-era white rule.
Zimbabwe is facing its worst gasoline shortages since the seizures of thousands of white-owned commercial farms began in 2000, disrupting the agriculture-based economy. Shortfalls in food, energy and other sectors, along with the world's highest inflation rates, have devastated the country — once a regional breadbasket.
At a major terminal in Harare, travelers said buses were infrequent or not available at all to some districts for the holiday period. State radio reported that some bus operators had abandoned government-controlled fares and demanded "exorbitant" amounts from travelers desperate to visit relatives in rural areas.
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