Malawi's Fuel Crisis Hangs Over Upcoming Elections

Malawi goes to the polls this month with severe shortages of petrol, for which motorists are forced to queue, among its many economic troubles (Credit: AFP)

In early morning gloom, a long line of vehicles winds around the lone fuel station in Dedza district in central Malawi, one of many overnight queues for petrol across the country.

It is a scene of frustration over chronic petrol shortages and a sputtering economy that has become a black mark against President Lazarus Chakwera as he seeks a second term at September 16 elections.