False update on the status of petrol supplies

False

Economy

False update on the status of petrol supplies

FACT-CHECKED by iVerify

March 27, 2025

Malawi Energy Regulatory Authority (MERA) has not issued a statement on the status of petrol supplies.

Claim

MERA update on the status of fuel supplies

Rating Justification

iVerify Malawi verified the content of the circulating statement and determined that it is false. To arrive at this verdict, iVerify Malawi checked with Malawi Energy Regulatory Authority (MERA) communications office and the office said the statement did not come from the Authority. MERA’s official platforms such as the website and Facebook page have also not published the statement. A closer examination of MERA’s statements also shows that they do not include the signature of the Authority’s Chief Executive Officer Mr. Henry Kachaje as is the case with the circulating statement. iVerify Malawi also verified the claim by talking to a number of stakeholders including those in petroleum industry and motorists to check if they are indeed currently experiencing fuel shortage as the statement claims. At the time of publishing this report there were no shortages of fuel and any statement of that sort from MERA.

Evidence and References

Legit statement from MERA as published on the Authority’s Facebook page
https://web.facebook.com/share/p/1B5uD7kxS7/

The last Malawi Energy Regulatory Authority (MERA) post on Facebook prior to circulation of the purported update on the status of fuel supplies
https://web.facebook.com/share/p/1C5bEucJao/

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