Fuel crisis to end in 48 hours, Chaponda Says

Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Minister George Chaponda says fuel shortages in Malawi will end within two days, assuring Malawians that the government is working to address the crisis.

“The president is assuring you that fuel shortages will soon be a thing of the past. The Minister of Energy has assured the nation that in two days’ time there will be no fuel problems,” Chaponda said.

He was speaking during the Church of Central Africa Presbyterian (CCAP) Blantyre Synod’s 150th anniversary thanksgiving service at Henry Henderson School of Excellence ground in Blantyre.

Chaponda said the government was aware of the economic difficulties facing Malawians and called on the church to pray for economic recovery.

He also listed several shortages that he attributed to the tenure of former president Lazarus Chakwera, although some people at the gathering were heard expressing disapproval as he outlined the challenges.

Chaponda also reflected on the suffering of CCAP Blantyre Synod leaders during the one-party era under the Malawi Congress Party (MCP), citing Reverend Jonathan Sangaya and Very Reverend Professor Silas Ncozana.

“This we must forget but not forgive because they form part of the church history,” he said.

The minister further urged the church to go beyond criticising societal problems through pastoral letters and instead propose practical solutions.

He also called on church leaders to demonstrate love and avoid hypocrisy, saying love should begin with men of God and extend to the people.

Senior Chief Kapeni of Blantyre commended the Synod for using education to transform the lives of children, saying it had helped turn ordinary village children into global leaders.

Meanwhile, the Synod’s general secretary, Anderson Juma, said there was no dispute between the church and government over ownership of Blantyre Secondary School.

He maintained that the government occupies church-owned land as a tenant.