Council cracks down on illegal fuel trade

Lilongwe City Council has ordered a crackdown on illegal fuel trading, hoarding and unregistered motorcycles amid persistent fuel scarcities, disorderly queues and alleged corruption at service stations.

The measures that chief executive officer Clement Stambuli announced include impounding vehicles obstructing traffic around fuel service stations and suspending or revoking licences of stations found hoarding fuel in violation of the law.

Motorists queue to fill up their tanks as shortage of fuel persists. | Nation

He told the media in the capital city yesterday that a full council meeting approved the measures following concerns raised by civil society organisations (CSOs) over motorists’ allegedly jumping queues through bribery and traders reselling fuel at exorbitant prices.

Stambuli said the disorder particularly disadvantaged women motorists, prompting calls for coordinated action to restore order at filling stations.

“It has been noted that in most cases there is no order, and especially women drivers are having challenges,” he said, adding that the resolutions had been approved by the relevant council subcommittee before endorsement by the full council. The council has also mandated police to impound unregistered motorcycles, which authorities say contribute to disorder at filling stations and pose safety and security risks to operators and customers.

But Stambuli dismissed assertions that political connections or other forms of influence could compromise enforcement, insisting that all relevant authorities were mandated to implement the resolutions.

Human Rights Consultative Committee chairperson Robert Mkwezalamba said CSOs engaged the council after observing disorder and alleged corruption at service stations.

He alleged that some unregistered kabaza operators were repeatedly buying fuel to drain filling station supplies and resell the commodity on the black market.

Malawi Coalition of Kabaza Stakeholders Association (Macokasa) president Moses Mwalabu, while welcoming the registration and licensing requirements, dismissed the suggestion that kabaza operators were responsible for the disorder.

“For that one, I’m not going to agree, but in terms of legislation, I’m 100 percent in agreement,” he said.

Mwalabu said his association had advocated lower registration fees and was ready to help members register, obtain licences and undergo the required training.

Malawi is reeling under yet another fuel scarcity that has entered its third week of a full-blown crisis. The shortages that resurfaced from late 2021 are attributed to scarcity of foreign exchange.

Motorists are spending hours on end at service stations hoping to get fuel at times to no avail.

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