LILONGWE-(MaraviPost)-The country’s civil rights group under the banner Malawi Civil Society Led Black Economic Empowerment Movement (MaBLEM) Taskforce is demanding a swift payout of US$8 billion from Total Malawi to government for fuel rebate accumulated since 2003.
The grouping observes that Total Malawi, a subsidiary of TotalEnergies needs to pay the rebate with the court determination for breaching exclusive rights to supply fuel deal with Malawi government.
MaBLEM states that unpaid rebates are contributing to forex, fuel crises in the country hence the need for Total Malawi to pay back the funds with interests for Malawians benefits.
Addressing the news conference on Saturday, August 2, 2025 in the capital Lilongwe, MaBLEM Chairperson Robert Mkezalamba called upon Attorney General (AG) Thabo Nyirenda to continue pursuing the matter till Malawians get their funds.
Mkwezalamba hinted that MaBLEM will provide necessary support to fast-track the matter in the court.
He therefore revealed that the grouping has launched a fuel Justice Campaign to provide all insights as to why Malawi is in the crisis and how best to address the challenge.
“The Malawi CSO-Led Black Economic Empowerment Movement (MaBLEM), a development and economic justice initiative under the Human Rights Consultative Committee (HRCC), is calling for urgent national and international attention to a longstanding, unresolved corporate injustice involving Total Malawi Limited, a subsidiary of the global oil giant TotalEnergies.
“Total Malawi is accused of withholding over US$8 billion in unpaid fuel rebates owed to the Government of Malawi and Prima Fuels, an indigenous Malawian company. This issue—shrouded in legal stalling, corporate influence, and diplomatic silence—must now be brought to the forefront,’ reads the statement in part MaBLEM issued during the press briefing.
More Than a Debt: A Deep Wound to Malawi’s Sovereignty In 2001, Total Malawi entered into a government-approved agreement with Prima Fuels that granted it exclusive rights to supply fuel across Malawi. This deal included significant benefits: tax incentives, access to state-owned infrastructure, and preferential market conditions. In exchange, Total Malawi was legally obligated to return a portion of its profits in the form of fuel rebates—funds intended to be reinvested into public services and national development.
By 2003, Total Malawi stopped fulfilling its obligations. Today, it owes approximately US$4 billion to the Government of Malawi and another US$4 billion to Prima Fuels. These figures may be conservative, given that the fuel card system—still in use—continues to generate revenue from which rebates should be accruing.
A Human Cost Hidden Behind Corporate Figures:
This isn’t just a legal dispute over numbers—it is a lived crisis for millions of Malawians. While Total Malawi continues to profit from Malawian markets, the country itself is reeling under the weight of: Fuel shortages that disrupt hospitals, schools, and livelihoods; Medical stock-outs that leave vulnerable populations without essential medicines; Economic decline, where farmers can’t afford fertilizer and businesses can’t survive transport disruptions; and Skyrocketing inflation, driven in part by erratic fuel supply and pricing.
US$4 billion could transform the lives of millions. It could stabilize fuel supply for months, restock public hospitals, fund the Affordable Input programme (AIP), and bring economic relief to families struggling with rising costs and lower inflation by reducing transport and energy cost. But instead, it sits in the hands of a multinational company that refuses accountability.
Systemic Injustice: A Global Giant vs. a Sovereign Nation
This case highlights a larger pattern of multinational corporate exploitation of developing nations. Global conglomerates like TotalEnergies, backed by vast legal and diplomatic power, too often operate with impunity in countries where institutions are under-resourced and legal systems are easily manipulated.
Since 2019, attempts to resolve this issue through the courts have been met with persistent delays. Evidence suggests these are not routine legal backlogs but deliberate tactics meant to exhaust justice. Total Malawi has repeatedly used its multinational status as a shield, while Malawi—one of the world’s poorest nations—continues to suffer the consequences.
Meanwhile, the Malawian people remain largely unaware of what has been lost, or how much could still be recovered if we act now.
Multinational corporations like TotalEnergies have profited handsomely from Africa’s natural and economic resources for decades. Too often, this profit has come at the expense of local people. Malawi is not the first country to suffer at the hands of a global giant—but it must strive to be among the first to successfully reclaim what is owed.
That will only happen if Malawians stand together—as one nation—across party lines, income levels, religions, and ethnic backgrounds.
A Call to Action: Transparency, Justice, and Restitution
We urge every Malawian to take a stand. This is not just the government’s responsibility. It is a people’s struggle:
To the media: Report fearlessly. Investigate. Educate the public.
To traditional leaders and faith communities: Speak out. Mobilize your people.
To youth and students: Use your voices to demand a fair future
To civil society: Organize. Protest. Petition. Amplify this cause.
To professionals, unions, and private sector players: Advocate for economic accountability.
To Members of Parliament: Represent your constituents. Push for parliamentary inquiry.
To every citizen: Demand answers. Demand payment. Demand justice.
Malawians Deserve Better
For too long, this injustice has been hidden behind legal jargon and powerful boardrooms. The Malawian people deserve answers. They deserve justice. They deserve what is rightfully theirs.
“Let this be a turning point—not just for Malawi, but for all developing countries fighting for economic sovereignty in a global system that too often favors power over principle. This Is a Test of Our National Will. If Malawi cannot recover what is rightfully hers—funds owed under legally binding agreements—then we risk setting a dangerous precedent: that multinational corporations can exploit our resources and institutions without consequence.
“Let us rise to this challenge not just to reclaim the US$4 billion, but to defend our dignity, our sovereignty, and our shared future.We will not be silenced. We will not forget. Total Malawi must pay,” demands MaBLEM.
Meanwhile, Total Malawi is pleading with the state to settle the matter outside the court.
