Although the identities of the other players in the consortium known as Ramshackle and made up of South African–based locals were still foggy, BP Africa’s Johannesburg–based executives, including communications manager Glenda Zvenyika, declined comment, saying the matter was sub judice.

“With regard to your enquiry, unfortunately BP cannot comment on the sale of assets that is currently underway as the process is still… subject to confidentiality agreements,” Zvenyika told Daily News Wednesday in an e–mail response.

Earlier, BP Africa chief executive Sipho Maseko’s local colleague Cremio Mapfumba had declined comment on the anticipated sale, while Empowerment minister Saviour Kasukuwere also said he was yet to be briefed on the latest developments since he was away in Mexico.

The company’s special projects advisor Richard King, also based in South Africa, had also not responded to our inquiry by the time of running this story.

As well as falling profits or trading margins, BP and Shell is selling its Zimbabwean assets after the country’s promulgation of empowerment laws entitling locals to a 51 percent shareholding of foreign–owned businesses.

While Chidawu was also not reachable for comment, oil sector sources said whoever wins the mandate to buy the assets will have to part with US$40 million. In addition, the chosen buyer will also have to put in US$20 million in working capital, they added.

Although little is known about the Harare businessman's fuel interests, Chidawu is better known for his construction, financial and retail sector interests through Kuchi Builders and Zimbabwe Stock Exchange-quoted Pelhams Limited.

As a founding shareholder of the Bard and Heritage Insurance groups, which later merged with BancABC, the ex-Harare mayor only relinquished his chairmanship of the pan-African group recently after a 14 year reign.

Independent observers, however, say BP is selling not necessarily because of pressure and Zimbabwe’s controversial indigenisation laws, but the market is “no more than a trickle” and insignificant a growth point or place in terms of BP’s new global focus, and operation anchored in drilling.

While BP and Shell are totally separate entities internationally, their local subsidiaries are run under a joint venture managed by the former, and called BP and Shell Marketing Services.

With a head count of 400, BP’s operation, for instance, has domestic and industrial lubricant manufacturing facilities such as its Willowvale blending plant, nine convenient stores and nearly 87 retail outlets countrywide.

The outfit, which also markets aviation fuels, natural gas and dispenses up to 30 million litres of blended fuels for regional neighbours Malawi, and frequently–distressed Lusaka, forms part of what the European partnership is selling.

Apart from the world-class Harare blending facility, BP also has bulk storage tanks and maintenance equipment around the country, including a major holding depot in Gweru.

In March, the company announced that it was disposing of its marketing business in Botswana, Malawi, Namibia, Tanzania and Zambia, as it zeroes in on refining and greater markets such as Mozambique and SA.

“This follows a strategic review by BP into its refining and marketing businesses in southern Africa, which showed the company should focus on those countries… (offering) the greatest synergies with its supply portfolio,” it said.

Maseko, however, assured regional governments and employees that the troubled company is staying, and will enlarge its investments.

Apart from Mozambique and Pretoria, BP is deeply involved in Angola, Algeria, Egypt and Libyan projects, where it is expanding its value chain infrastructure or position.

While the BP top man stressed that they were selling businesses which they considered of “good value and great potential” to the purchaser, controversy has dogged the exercise amid revelations that the oil multinational was trying to “sanitise” its act and sale of Zimbabwean assets by involving ill–funded local groups.

Knowledgeable sources said two of the investment groups or consortia, which the company has been negotiating with and known as Positive Energy, and Sabrex, are unhappy with BP’s presentation of a “window–dressed” empowerment deal or transaction for approval by Kasukuwere’s department, when it had reached a tentative agreement with Kenya’s Kenolkobil.

An oil trader himself, Kasukuwere’s company Comoil belongs to the splinter Positive grouping alongside Downtown Petroleum, John Makova’s Exor, and Wedzera Petroleum owned by reclusive tycoon Eric Nhodza.

On the other hand, Sabrex – pitched as the bona fide and all–embracing negotiating platform for the BP assets – now comprises Kudakwashe Tagwirei’s Sakunda Energy, Redan and other smaller players.

BP, which in July fobbed off a US$20 million Strauss Logistics lawsuit, has been negotiating with the parties since early this year, although personal ambitions of the characters involved and Zimbabwe’s complex political economy are getting the better of progress.

On the other hand, intra and inter group dynamics, particularly at Positive, are also affecting discussions.