President Lazarus Chakwera has sworn to fire officials at the National Oil Company of Malawi (NOCMA) accused of sabotaging the country’s fuel supply, warning that their jobs will be terminated immediately after next week’s elections.
The warning comes at a time when the country is grappling with yet another fuel scarcity, barely a week before Malawians head to the polls on September 16, 2025, to elect a president, members of parliament, and local government representatives.
Delivering his State of the Nation Address from Sanjika Palace in Blantyre on Monday evening, Chakwera said evidence shows that some NOCMA officers conspired with private suppliers, whom he described as middlemen, to undermine the government’s direct fuel procurement deals of Government-to-Government (G2G) fuel procurement system.
“Those who engineered this betrayal know themselves, and they also know that by the end of next week, their jobs will be gone. What they have done is not only an insult to me as President but also a betrayal of Malawians,” fumed Chakwera.
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Chakwera revealed that Malawi had adopted a G2G fuel procurement system earlier this year to bypass the middlemen.
Under this arrangement, according to Chakwera, the country secured 48 million litres of fuel in July this year for US$27 million, making savings compared to the US$40 million charged by private suppliers.
A second consignment was expected in late August to stabilize supplies for September, but it was deliberately delayed.
“Unfortunately, some NOCMA officials conspired with a private company that was not part of the G2G deal. They created bottlenecks that delayed the arrival of the September fuel shipment, all in pursuit of personal gain,” Chakwera disclosed.
The delay triggered widespread fuel shortages, with long queues forming at filling stations across the country.
Chakwera apologized to Malawians for the inconvenience, describing the shortages as “the painful bullets of the war against corruption and sabotage.”
To resolve the crisis, the government has already arranged emergency supplies, with 240 trucks carrying fuel already on the way to replenish stocks nationwide this week. Chakwera assured Malawians that fuel availability would normalize within days.
“To resolve this crisis, we have already arranged emergency supplies. Over 240 trucks are on the way to replenish filling stations across the country, and I assure you that within days, fuel will be available everywhere.
“I ask you to forgive me for the suffering caused by waiting in lines at filling stations. This is a war I am fighting on your behalf, and sometimes its bullets hit innocent people,” the President said.
Chakwera stressed that the G2G system would remain in place as it ensures cheaper and more sustainable fuel procurement, saving taxpayers money while guaranteeing supply stability.
“We will not return to middlemen who only drain resources. This government-to-government arrangement is the future, and no amount of sabotage will stop us,” he declared.
The crisis comes as Malawi grapples with persistent fuel shortages, sparking growing public frustration. While President Chakwera has defended the G2G procurement system as the best option for the country, some quarters have dismissed it as a failed strategy, alleging that government has been “scammed” by foreign suppliers.
Adding fuel to the debate, the opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) held a press briefing in Blantyre on Monday morning, accusing the administration of presiding over a string of corruption scandals.
DPP National Director of Political Affairs, Ben Phiri alleged that US$22 million was siphoned from government coffers through fake fuel suppliers, linking the crisis to what he described as entrenched corruption.
He further claimed that corruption dockets are already in place, citing the fertilizer scandal, pharmacy deals, the passport deal, and the fuel saga, vowing that from September 17, 2025, the incoming DPP government would “move in to arrest everyone involved in these scandals.”
