Editors PickNational News

Council in tug of war with filling station owner

Lilongwe City Council (LCC) is involved in a tug of war with owner of a filling station over an ‘open’ drinking joint near the facility, which LCC says is illegal.
Groups of imbibers, including teenagers, have been flocking to summer huts erected behind Mbowe Filling Station as the liquor selling business on the premises has blossomed into a popular drinking joint in town.

Part of the drinking area at the filling station
Part of the drinking area at the filling station

But owner of the premises has argued that they are operating within the law in running the business.
LCC spokesperson Tamara Chafunya confirmed on Friday that the council has written Mbowe Filling Station to close the drinking joint as it is against the business licence the council granted to the filling station.
She said the measure was aimed at enforcing the city’s by-laws, but she agreed in an interview that fears of an accident also informed the decision.
But Chafunya said the process to close down the drinking joint through a 14-day stop notice has hit a hurdle as the premises’ owners have appealed against the decision.
“They never obtained a planning permit. We gave them a 14-day stop notice, which they appealed against. We reviewed the matter and sent another notice, which again they have appealed against,” said Chafunya.
Malawi Energy Regulatory Authority (Mera) chief executive officer Ellias Hausi conceded in an interview on Wednesday that activities at Mbowe Filing Station were a ‘time bomb’ and a matter of concern to Mera.
“We received complaints about the same and engaged the other authorities. We are now working with our colleagues at the city council and environmental officials to address the matter.
“It is a ‘time bomb’ for people to be drinking at a filling station, anything can happen,” said Hausi.
He explained that the drinking joint part of the business is illegal as it is not included in the filling station’s certification.
Premises’ management confirmed receiving the notice from council, but referred further questions to owner of the place, politician Ephraim Chiume. who insisted in an interview that the filling station is operating within the law.
“We operate within the law and we would like to continue operating within the law. The council has given us their position, but we think there is nothing that cannot be resolved with dialogue,” said Chiume.
Asked if he shared the fears that the ‘joint’ is a recipe for disaster, Chiume could neither dismiss the fears nor accept them as legitimate, but said the filling station was not responsible for the beer drinking taking place at its backyard. 

Related Articles

3 Comments

  1. Please close it down. Just send the police to seal it off. People cannot be just drinking beer anyhow. I agree with the council. This is illegal. Please work without fear or favour. The fact that Chime says he is not responsible for beer behind his filing station means that it an illegal business.

    1. This is a ticking time Bomb for sure.. 90 people died in Ghana when a Filling Station exploded.. In China last night another Chemical Factory exploded leaving 40 people dead and scores more injured.. Mbowe Filling Station has about 4 Petrol Tanks, and all the cars parked there with more Fuel on board. The explosion which is inevitable to happen there, with all the Drunks smoking, driving and fighting, etc.. will take out not only the Station itself, but also City Mall and possibly a few neighbouring Businesses.. It is beyond me that the City Council or MERA has not closed the place down.. One wonders if there is bribery going on to keep the place open. And what bothers me is, why is Mr Chiume and some people, when given the opportunity with prime land within the City, are not developing the land. Is that the best he can do there? That place needs to close down before scores of lives are lost. And MERA needs to revise their policy of allowing Filling Stations to sell Alcohol on their premises. It is like they are encouraging Drinking and Driving.. Just like there is a push to end sales of Alcohol Sachets in Malawi, I believe Alcohol should stopped from being sold in Petrol Stations.

  2. This is a ticking time Bomb for sure.. 90 people died in Ghana when a Filling Station exploded.. In China last night another Chemical Factory exploded leaving 40 people dead and scores more injured.. Mbowe Filling Station has about 4 Petrol Tanks, and all the cars parked there with more Fuel on board. The explosion which is inevitable to happen there, with all the Drunks smoking, driving and fighting, etc.. will take out not only the Station itself, but also City Mall and possibly a few neighbouring Businesses.. It is beyond me that the City Council or MERA has not closed the place down.. One wonders if there is bribery going on to keep the place open. And what bothers me is, why is Mr Chiume and some people, when given the opportunity with prime land within the City, are not developing the land. Is that the best he can do there? That place needs to close down before scores of lives are lost. And MERA needs to revise their policy of allowing Filling Stations to sell Alcohol on their premises. It is like they are encouraging Drinking and Driving.. Just like there is a push to end sales of Alcohol Sachets in Malawi, I believe Alcohol should stopped from being sold in Petrol Stations.

Back to top button