Motorists panic amid fuel shortage
Panic buying of fuel has been the order of the day in the capital Lilongwe and other districts, as many service stations do not have adequate supplies of petrol and diesel.
Motorists have been forming long queues at service stations where supplies are available.
The situation is the same in Mzimba, Nkhotakota and Salima.
Now, the National Oil Company of Malawi (NOCMA) has issued a statement assuring Malawians that it has adequate stocks of fuel in its reserves.
As at midday in Lilongwe, only a few service stations were noted to have had the supply of petrol and diesel with a majority having none.
On Monday, spot checks in service stations around old town and Area 3 have revealed that more people are failing to top up since fuel has been unavailable and they have ended up forming long queues at places where they hope supply would be restored soon.
A further check at Meru, Best Oil and Puma filling stations along the Area 49 road has shown that diesel and petrol had been unavailable.
The situation has left a lot of public transport users stranded as only a few minibuses and taxis have been operating.
Others have further reported to have found refuge in vendors who are selling the commodity at as high as K3,000 per litre.
A statement from NOCMA however indicates that there are enough stocks of petrol and diesel in their strategic fuel reserves across the country and that currently more stocks are being procured from Beira and Dar es Salaam ports.
The statement further calls for Malawians not to panic over the situation.
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