The protesters' demands include the resignation of the Energy and Mining Minister, Ibrahim Matola, and the head of the country's energy regulatory agency, Henry Kachaje, accusing them of failing to address the ongoing fuel shortage.

On Monday, police in Lilongwe used tear gas shells to disperse protesters demanding the resignation of the energy minister amid a severe fuel shortage that has been affecting Malawi for over a month. The protesters, who took to the streets early in the morning, expressed their frustrations by chanting anti-government slogans and waving placards. However, less than an hour after the demonstration began, police officers arrived at the Lilongwe Community Centre, located in the heart of the capital, and used tear gas to disperse the crowd. No casualties or arrests have been reported so far.

The protest was organized by the Centre for Democracy and Economic Initiatives (CDEDI) and received full support from several influential groups, including the Public Affairs Committee (PAC), an umbrella body for religious organizations, and opposition political parties like the United Transformation Movement (UTM) and the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP). The main demand of the protesters was the resignation of Energy and Mining Minister Ibrahim Matola and the Chief Executive Officer of the Malawi Energy Regulatory Authority (MERA), Henry Kachaje, accusing them of failing to address the critical fuel shortage.

Sylvester Namiwa, the Executive Director of CDEDI, condemned the police’s actions as "barbaric and brutal" and vowed that the protests would continue until their demands were met. He emphasized that the protest was peaceful and that demonstrators had a legal right to protest. "We will not be deterred by any form of violence or brutality directed at us by any individual. We have complete legal rights to protest. Any attempt to impede our efforts is illegal," Namiwa told Anadolu News Agency. He further stated, "This is a peaceful demonstration, and we are determined to continue with or without violence or disruptions."

Malawi has been facing a critical fuel shortage for nearly a month, which has crippled essential services such as public transportation and hospitals, where power generation relies on fuel. This situation has heightened public frustrations, with many calling for urgent action. The government has attributed the crisis to low fuel supply levels, which have been worsened by the country’s nearly four-year foreign exchange (forex) shortage. Malawi, a landlocked country, imports its fuel from Gulf countries via Tanzania, making its fuel supplies vulnerable to external factors.

Consumer rights activist John Kapito spoke out against the government’s handling of the situation, calling the fuel shortage "a blatant violation of people's basic rights." He described the ongoing suffering of the people, stating, "As a nation, we cannot allow this to continue. Innocent people are being subjected to unnecessary suffering." Kapito also urged the government to find a long-term solution to the fuel crisis, emphasizing that the hardship faced by the population could no longer be ignored. "The government should do something to find a long-term solution to this problem," he said.