DR Congo’s capital faces fuel shortage
Drivers have been lining up at gas pumps in Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), creating traffic jams and even fisticuffs amid the ongoing fuel shortage.
Kinshasa is an overcrowded city with over 17 million people. Those who make their living on wheels including motorists, taximen, and vehicle drivers have no choice but to wait with patience and try their luck.
SOUNDBITE 1 (Lingala): PAPY KASONGO, Local resident
« I’ve been at the station since 6 a.m. I left my car at home for lack of fuel, and it’s been three days since I was able to drive my car. Since I started looking, I still have not found the fuel. In other stations, we were refused to get fuel because we showed up with an oil tank. Fortunately here, the chef is understanding and allows us to queue to be served. »
The city consumes 1,100 cubic meters of fuel per day, but the authorities and operators could only provide a little more than 600 cubic meters.
SOUNDBITE 2 (Lingala): FREDDY NGOYI, Local driver
« Here we were told that there is gasoline. You can see for yourself how the vehicles are lining up in the hope that we will be served. But they also tell us that we are only permitted to buy 20 to 25 liters. We don’t know when this situation will improve. »
The crisis has also made the life of local residents more expensive, as they have to pay more for their daily commutes.
SOUNDBITE 3 (Lingala): JEAN MARI, Local civil servant
« Service stations are always flooded with vehicles, creating monster traffic jams. What is even more serious is that we are obliged to pay the transport race according to the moods of taximen. Due to the fact that several taxis are not on the ground for lack of gasoline, the drivers take the opportunity to charge us 1,500 CDF for a ride that we usually pay 500 CDF. They even triple it to 3,500 CDF for a trip that we used to pay 1,000 CDF. People are suffering seriously because of this situation. »
Earlier this week, Didier Budimbu, minister of hydrocarbons, ordered service stations to limit supplies to 30 liters per day for jeeps and 20 liters for small cars.
Though the government has not yet revealed any reason for the energy crisis, it has promised to ensure the gasoline supply of the city.
SOUNDBITE 4 (Lingala): DIDIER BUDIMBU, Minister of Hydrocarbons
« If we continue to distribute normally, for example, 1,100 cubic meters per day, this risk will create a shortage of stock by Sept. 14. It is for this reason that we have decided to reduce the distribution at 620 cubic meters per day. I insist that we have power, and we have only reduced the quantity in distribution. But we see that people driven by bad faith have decided to speculate to make people believe that there is no current. Here I assure you that we have the necessary product. I call you to patriotism as we see in other countries. Power is the engine of the economy. If there is no power, it will also be impossible to move food products from one point to another. In this situation, we have to change our habits. If you are used to buying 50 liters, try to reduce even to 20 liters to allow everyone available. »
After a crisis meeting held on Friday, the government claimed to have ordered a shipment with 28,000 metric tons of gasoline.
Faced with the fuel crisis, the government will « take appropriate measures that take into account the recommendations made following meetings with players in the agri-food sector and oil companies, » said Patrick Muyaya, Minister of Communication and Media, on Friday.
