Businesses and commuters have been left stranded in Malawi’s capital, Lilongwe, as parts of the city grind to a halt due to an acute fuel shortage now in its second week.
Hundreds of motorists have been queuing for petrol, with footage captured on Friday showing long lines of vehicles stretching along roads in Lilongwe. Some vehicles were seen being pushed towards a filling station after reportedly running out of fuel.
The shortage is taking a heavy toll on daily life and livelihoods, with residents struggling to get to work, take their children to school and keep their businesses running.
“The fuel scarcity has affected us quite a lot because we are unable to go to work or drop off our kids,” said local resident Kondwani Undulu.
“Even our businesses, what we are doing, things have completely slowed down. We even don’t have clientele coming in, things have just, you know, tumbled really,” he added.
Some drivers say they have spent days in queues, with others forced to sleep in their vehicles while waiting for supplies.
One relieved motorist who managed to refuel said: “God help us not to spend nights at filling stations.”
Minibus driver Gerald Banda, who had spent three days waiting, said: “I have been staying here for the past three days waiting for fuel because there is an acute shortage of the fuel in the country. Luckily, today a tanker has offloaded some fuel, and I hope I will be able to buy it.”
Malawi relies heavily on imported fuel, making it vulnerable to global price swings, foreign currency shortages and disruptions to supply routes.
The latest crisis comes as fuel importers in parts of Africa face pressure from volatile energy markets and supply disruptions linked to tensions in the Middle East.
The Malawi Energy Regulatory Authority and the Ministry of Energy have yet to confirm when fuel supplies will return to normal.
Credit: Viory
