In a rare turn of good news for Malawians gripped by fuel anxiety, the Transporters Association of Malawi (TAM) has thrown a glimmer of hope into the gloom, declaring that the country’s fuel supply chain is finally shifting gears after weeks of frustrating setbacks at regional ports.
Speaking with restrained optimism, TAM spokesperson Frank Banda revealed that a key roadblock—centered around a supplier for the National Oil Company of Malawi (NOCMA)—was recently cleared after the company’s squabble with the Tanzania Revenue Authority led to a temporary suspension of fuel loading at Dar es Salaam Port.
But that wasn’t all. Banda explained that further chaos had brewed at the busy Tanzanian port as a diplomatic logjam between port authorities and multiple fuel-hungry nations turned the gateway into a congestion nightmare, throttling Malawi’s access to vital fuel stocks.
“The good news,” Banda said, “is that the issue was finally ironed out last week. Trucks are now rolling.” Fifty fuel tankers have already crossed the border into Malawi, while another 50 were greenlit to depart from Tanzania today.
TAM isn’t stopping there. Banda revealed that 150 more trucks from Malawi are en route to Dar es Salaam to tap into the newly re-opened fuel flow, hoping to capitalize on what he called a “speedy loading process.”
Meanwhile, a separate bottleneck at Mozambique’s Beira Port—where 20 trucks were reportedly marooned due to forex woes—has also been unclogged. Banda confirmed that those trucks successfully offloaded their precious cargo in Malawi yesterday, with more on the way.
After months of long queues, dry pumps, and mounting public frustration, it appears the country’s fuel lifeline is finally sputtering back to life. But for now, Malawians can only wait, hope, and pray the trucks keep coming.
