Fuel Shortage

Malawi has a fuel shortage. Some are calling it a crisis. It certainly feels like a crisis when you can’t get fuel and need to be somewhere. On three different occasions I have either had to beg for rides to be get to planned events or cancel altogether because everyone I contacted was in the same situation as I was. The shortage is unpredictable. Sometimes there is petrol available and not diesel. Other times it is the other way around and sometimes both are absent. There are lots of explanations given for the shortages – foreign exchange difficulties, transportation difficulties, excessive consumption, the increased number of motor vehicles. There is no end to the explanations but none of that changes the reality of no fuel. When rumors come that a certain station will be getting fuel, people rush to get in line to wait for the tanker to arrive. Lines extend for blocks, many times snarling moving traffic in the process. Because of the unpredictability of shortage, people are getting in line whenever they see the lines forming, to be certain that they don’t miss the opportunity. It is a bit chaotic.

Thursday of last week, I had less than half a tank of fuel and knew that I had a busy weekend coming. I asked Maxwell, my trusty gardener/driver, to see if he could find fuel in the city. There were rumors that there were some tankers coming. He found a long line (called a queue here, using the British term) and joined it. The queue inched forward over the next four hours, using up precious fuel, but seemingly making progress. He got to within 10 cars of the pumps and the movement stopped. Those still in line were told that the fuel had run out. He came home discouraged, and a bit worried. He had used a great deal of the precious fluid with no positive result. Later in the day, he came to say that the station just down the road from us had fuel. The queue was long, but he was hopeful. Three hours later he returned with a similar story as the first. This time he was only seven cars from the goal when the flow stopped. But we were even lower on fuel, so the situation was becoming desperate.

Friday I had to go to Limbe church for a meeting in the morning. I had fuel, but knew that I didn’t have much for anything else. On the way back, I saw a queue at a station and called Maxwell to prepare to go again. Again he went to sit and wait. He made steady progress until he got five cars from the pump when he ran out of fuel this time, not the station. He had to enlist the assistance of those around him to push the car forward, until he reached the pump. He was delighted that the station's fuel held out this time and he was able to fill up for us. I was elated when he returned. This meant that I could continue with the plans for the weekend activities.

Early Monday morning, I had to take some visitors to the airport and on the way back I noticed that one station seemed to have fuel, but there were no lines. I pulled in to enquire. Sure enough, they had petrol. I still had ¾ of a tank, but I filled up, since it was available. To be able to “top up,” as they say here, and not to have to wait in line was a great blessing. I’m set for at least this week, if there are no long trips needed. We manage the best we can. We are told that this will be the situation for some time to come so we need to make the best of it. This is becoming part of life in Malawi.

Cars queued for petrol at a local station.
This is now a normal scene