For two grueling months, long, snaking queues at filling stations have been a tormenting spectacle, an unrelenting reminder of the fuel crisis gripping the nation. Amid the chaos of jostling vehicles, a curious semblance of order emerges at some stations—cars huddled on one side, motorbikes clustered on the other. I once stumbled upon an endless line of motorbikes, stretching so far into the distance that it felt like the very earth itself was rolling them out in defiance of my gaze.
It is truly unnerving when you stop to consider the sheer number of vehicles—cars, trucks, buses, motorbikes—all guzzling fuel to keep moving. The realization hits even harder when you think about why we need it: for local errands, mostly tied to social activities. We need fuel to get to work, attend church, join seminars, or simply hang out with friends—the list goes on. But when you step back and reflect, none of these activities, in the strictest sense, can be called a productive use of a vehicle.
Do not get me wrong, dear reader! I am not suggesting that these services are not essential—far from it. Society as we know it would grind to a halt without the mobility that vehicles provide. I came across an article highlighting how hospitals have been severely impacted by the crippling fuel shortage. Ambulances unable to ferry critically ill patients to health facilities, or vehicles grounded when they are desperately needed to procure lifesaving drugs—these disruptions are not just inconvenient; they are catastrophic. Such services are not merely necessary; they are indispensable. Without them, society teeters on the edge of dysfunction.
The point I am driving at is that we do not channel our hard-earned fuel into truly productive ventures nearly enough to justify the investment. How much of our diesel, for instance, powers tractors to cultivate exportable farm produce? Even less keeps factories humming with the production of goods. Instead, so much of our fuel consumption is tied up in activities that, while essential, yield no tangible economic returns.
Agreed, generating electricity from fossil fuels may not be the most efficient method to power industry, but it can still play a pivotal role in keeping the wheels of productivity turning. I experienced this firsthand growing up at Nkhoma Mission during a time when the entire Mission was off the national power grid. Instead, we relied on a diesel generator, with a backup on standby, to meet our power needs. Despite this seemingly limited setup, Nkhoma thrived as the home of the Petro Van Vyk Press (now Nkhoma Press), a beacon of literary production that served not only Malawi but also neighboring Zambia and Zimbabwe.
One of its notable achievements was nurturing local writers like Josiah Nthara, whose novel Nthondo—translated into English by former Nyasaland missionary Cullen Young—won the prestigious Margaret Wong Literary Award in 1933. Remarkably, all this literary output was powered by the hum of the Mission’s diesel generator.
This is exactly what I mean by putting fuel to productive use. Nkhoma Mission, with its modest diesel generators, could proudly showcase tangible results—literature that not only enriched lives locally but also earned some foreign exchange through exports. It was a small but meaningful contribution to the economy. Contrast that with our situation today: we consume vast quantities of imported fuel without much to show for it. We simply sink it—pun intended—into activities that yield little to no economic return.
The numbers tell a sobering story. The last time I checked, our annual fuel import bill was hovering around $600 million. That is an eye-watering figure, especially when you consider that barely any of that fuel contributes to generating even a fraction of that amount. There is only one word to describe this reality: unsustainable.
Time and again, I have urged the nation to seriously explore alternative energy sources for powering our vehicles. Yet, my appeals often feel like the cries of an unrecognized prophet lost in the wilderness—drowned out by the noise of skepticism and forgotten as soon as they are spoken.
Some nations, by contrast, are making bold moves to reduce their dependence on fossil fuels for transportation. This past September, Ethiopia announced a ban on the importation of petrol and diesel-powered vehicles, a clear signal to motorists to shift toward electric vehicles. What is even more striking is that they are taking this leap despite having only one public charging station in the entire country. It is a daring step, but it underscores their commitment to breaking free from fossil fuel reliance and embracing a more sustainable future.