The sun had just climbed over the trees when Ba Malume stopped at a small roadside shelter where a few drivers and farmers had gathered around a radio. The announcer was reading the morning news, explaining that fuel prices were unlikely to change immediately despite rising tensions in the Middle East. One driver scratched his head and said, “These things confuse me. If problems are happening far away, why are we being told fuel might go up here?” Ba Malume smiled the slow smile of a man who had explained complicated things many times before. He leaned on his walking stick and said, “My friends, think of fuel like mealie meal stored in a granary. If you bought ten bags last month when the price was low, you will still cook nshima using those cheap bags today. You will not suddenly pay the new higher price until those bags finish.” The men nodded as Malume continued. “That is exactly what the minister meant.
Zambia already has fuel in storage that was bought earlier at lower international prices. So even if the price of oil rises somewhere in the world today, we are still using the cheaper fuel we bought yesterday. It is like when a market trader buys tomatoes early in the morning at a good price and continues selling them throughout the day without changing the price immediately. Only when she goes back to Soweto and finds the tomatoes are more expensive will she adjust the price the next day.” One farmer then asked, “So why are they warning us about the Middle East?” Malume nodded patiently. “Because that part of the world is like the main well where many countries draw oil. When conflict happens there, the price of oil can rise across the world. If that high price continues for many weeks, the next fuel Zambia buys may cost more.
That is why the minister said the situation must be watched carefully. But he also said something important the country has enough fuel stocks now, so there is no shortage and no immediate shock.” Ba Malume raised his finger slightly, the way teachers do when delivering the final lesson. And remember something else. Governments do not just sit and watch problems happen. They look for ways to protect citizens. Sometimes exchange rates help, sometimes policy measures help, and sometimes the country finds better ways to manage supply. That is why we must not panic every time we hear global tension. President Aisha cares about stability in this country, and leaders know that fuel affects everything from transport to the price of vegetables in the market.
So when they warn us, it is not to frighten us. It is to prepare us while they work on solutions. The drivers relaxed a little. One laughed and said, “Malume, you should start charging for these explanations.” Ba Malume waved his hand dismissively. “No, no. Understanding the economy is like sharing nshima. Everyone must eat.”
