Durban - Political parties have implored the South African government to find ways to limit the impact of the fuel price hike on South African citizens who are already heavily burdened by the high cost of living.
As of Tuesday, the cost of fuel increased by over R2.00 a litre, leading to an outcry from political parties and the South African public.
Parties, including the Democratic Alliance, National Freedom Party and the Inkatha Freedom Party, have all called on President Cyril Ramaphosa’s administration to ensure measures were put in place to avoid citizens being hard hit.
In KwaZulu-Natal, IFP MPL Otto Kunene said that if no funds were immediately available for subsidies, the government should forge partnerships with stakeholders, such as businesses nationally and abroad.
“Measures such as possibly negotiating with organised business to consider instituting a price freeze of basic necessities would go a long way to help those consumers that are already battling due to exorbitant fuel prices.
“An urgent solution is needed to salvage the situation for KwaZulu-Natal citizens as this Province is already reeling from the impact of the 2021 July unrest, the recent floods, and the Covid-19 pandemic,” Kunene said.
He said that the IFP was concerned that the increase would result in yet another price hike for food and essential daily commodities while transport costs and fares would surely also increase.
“With the KwaZulu-Natal youth unemployment rate currently sitting at 59.3%, there is a very real possibility that crime will increase as people become desperate. This situation cannot be allowed to escalate beyond the point of no return,” Kunene said.
In KZN, the DA took to the streets to protest against the fuel tax, which accounts for over 30% of the fuel prices
Kevin Mileham, DA MP and spokesperson on Mineral Resources and Energy said that the DA would keep up the fight to slash fuel prices.
“This announcement does not deter us but makes the fight more urgent and more meaningful. The DA is determined to make our demands inescapable by this failing ANC government. The fight against these fuel prices goes on with more vigour and determination.
“Today, the ANC government may have chosen to give itself another tax boost by squeezing us all at the pumps, but these are the actions of a government which has long given up on caring for people, and the time is coming for people to give up on the ANC too,” Mileham said.
https://www.facebook.com/100068744567161/videos/pcb.320367703598046/2666991340103569The NFP’s Cannan Mdletshe called on the government through the Ministries of Transport and Finance to avail a special subsidy to the taxi industry to keep up with an unprecedented petrol price increase.
"The envisaged petrol hikes are going to hit hard on the pockets of the taxi operators in the country and, subsequently, impact negatively on poor consumers and workers alike.
"The taxi industry is a national carrier. Millions of people use taxis daily, yet the government is not subsidising the industry, which is very unfortunate and displays arrogance from the side of the government.
"To avert potential and unavoidable taxi fare increases due to massive petrol hikes, we are calling on the government to step in by making a special fund available to meet taxi operators halfway so that taxi fares increase can be minimal,” Mdletshe said.
He added that if no intervention was forthcoming, they are worried that this might force taxi operators and the industry to increase taxi fares, which, in turn, would have a massive impact on commuters.
"The reality is that workers, especially the low-income employees, rely on taxis. The poorest of the poor in our communities also use public transport, taxis, in particular. In fact, there are areas in our country where there is no other mode of transportation except taxis.
"So any taxi fare increase would have a fundamental negative impact on the lives of ordinary and the poor people in particular. With current economic challenges, high food prices, unemployment, rising petrol prices, and poverty levels on the rise. Taxi fare increases cannot be sustained and would add a burden to already suffering South Africans,” Mdletshe said.
SUNDAY TRIBUNE