On Friday, crowds lined up at petrol stations across Malawi following the introduction of fuel rationing earlier this week, prompted by a shortage of foreign exchange that disrupted supplies.
The Malawi Energy Regulatory Authority (MERA) announced that these restrictions would target specific petrol stations to curb hoarding and black-market sales.
MERA’s chief executive, Henry Kachaje, stated that the measures aim to “ensure fair access to fuel across Malawi.” However, many residents and businesses are already feeling the impact.
“Inflation has soared, and with the rainy season approaching, farmers are struggling to access and transport fertilizer, putting the nation’s food security in jeopardy,” said the Human Rights Defenders Coalition (HRDC), a local advocacy group.
The fuel shortage has driven up transportation costs, leading to higher prices for essential goods and food in a country where 70% of the population lives in extreme poverty.
At a petrol station in Lilongwe on Friday, truck driver Mustafa Nankwenya shared that he had spent four days searching for diesel for his 10-ton truck, which was loaded with medical supplies.
“I am really under pressure right now,” he said, explaining he was transporting anti-retroviral drugs to government health facilities in Mangochi, located 350 kilometers (about 210 miles) away.
Government spokesman Moses Kunkuyu told AFP that the crisis was primarily due to a lack of foreign exchange to settle a $75 million debt owed to fuel suppliers. He assured that efforts were underway to resolve the issue.
“As of the past two days, nearly $70 million has been paid,” Kunkuyu said, though he acknowledged ongoing challenges with loading and transporting fuel from ports in Tanzania and Mozambique.
Motorist Godfrey Chisusu expressed frustration, stating the government was “taking forever” to resolve the crisis. “If they’ve secured forex now, they should have addressed this issue much earlier,” he said.
The Human Rights Defenders Coalition called for transparency, insisting that the public deserves to know when the crisis will end. “They assured Malawians it would only last a week, yet we are now entering the fifth week with no relief in sight,” the group stated in a release.
