Transporters, Nocma at loggerheads over contracts: Ninkawa threatens job loses

Association of Professional Drivers is accusing the State-owned National Oil Company of Malawi (Nocma) of sidelining local transporters in preference for foreign transporters.

The chairman of the association Leonard Sitima said the association members will take drastic action against NOCMA over the issue.

“If you go and check now, you will find that only foreign transporters are given the contracts to transport fuel. This is unfair. NOCMA is collapsing the local transport industry,” he said.

Sitima said the association members intends to block all loading points and if the worse comes to the worst, block the entry points as well.

Transporter Iqbar Mohammed of Ninkawa said he will be retrenching some of his staff if NOCMA continues to sideline his transport company.

But NOCMA spokesperson Terephorous Chigwenembe disputed this, saying all transporters local and foreign are treated equally.

He said every year, an evaluation is done to find out which companies did better and which ones did not, based on the results, he said, some transport companies are dropped.