Malawi sugar queues refuse to disappear

Limbe Central Business District (CBD) on Tuesday witnessed another ‘round’ of sugar queues as people scrambled for the rationed commodity, which has become much scarcity in a country where the economy is severely crumbling.

Malawi commercial banks have no foreign exchange and service stations are dry with desperate motorists queuing for hours on end in search of fuel. Now, it is sugar; one of the basic necessities for many poor Malawian households.

In Limbe, where shops have not had sugar stocks for several days now, it was at Shoprite U-Save shop where sugar was off-loaded on Tuesday.

Malawi now becoming a nation of queues“I have been here since seven in the morning to ensure that I am in a better position to access the sugar. Sugar has just come this afternoon and while I wished I could have bought in bulk, they are rationing it with each customer allowed on two kilogrammes at K530,” said a desperate woman who had travelled all the way from the populous Ndirande Township, 12 kilometres away.Until recently and before the current crisis, a one kilogramme sugar was selling at between K150 and K180. Last week, people in Zomba and other major towns in the country scrambled for sugar and experts believe that the problem would worsen with the scarcity of forex as the sugar manufacturers, Illovo Sugar Malawi Limited can hardly import raw materials. However, Illovo Public Relations manager, Ireen Phalula was quoted in the media recently as having said the company was deliberately controlling supplies to discourage “selfish traders” who were exporting sugar at the expense of poor Malawians.Panick buying of sugar is “still rife” in other parts of the country.The country has been facing various queues in search for commodities. Experts in health and safety warns that queues are hazardous and pose a danger to public safety.Sugar queues in Limbe

 

Follow and Subscribe Nyasa TV :

Sharing is caring!

Follow us in Twitter
Read previous post:
IMF diagnoses Malawi’s forex illness

The current foreign exchange situation in Malawi was triggered by a fall in tobacco earnings and donor aid inflows last...

Close