Professional Drivers Union of Malawi (Produm) has written the office of secretary to the President and Cabinet, requesting an audience with President Lazarus Chakwera to pour their grievances to the first citizen.

In a letter addressed to secretary to President and Cabinet Zangazanga Chikhosi and signed by the union’s general secretary Mphatso Molleni, the grouping says it has over the past two yearsbeen engaging Capital Hill through various designated ministries including Ministry of Transport, Ministry of Energy as well as Ministry of Homeland Security with the view to securing government’s effective intervention.

However, Molleni laments that despite their efforts, no any serious attempt has been made by government to address their woes.Among others, the drivers are complaining that much of fuel haulage business is landing in the hands of foreign companies, failure by employers to adhere to the minimum wage for truck drivers, unfair and unjustified punishment of drivers for ordinary and/or normal fuel losses incurred in the course of transporting fuel, lack of transparency by Malawi Energy Regulatory Authority (Mera) in accounting for fuel shortage recorded at offloading at Mera depots as well as various logistical challenges related to renewal of passports by truck drivers who operate internationally

“It is against this background that we now write the President, through your good office, seeking an opportunity for a roundtable audience with the State President so that our grievances are brought to his direct attention,” says Molleni in the letter, seen by The Nation.

According to Molleni, the drivers’ last resort would be to wage an indefinite industrial action which he warned would have a potential of seriously injuring the already-fragile economy, a situation he said may work against the State President’s efforts to resuscitate and rebuild the same economy.

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