Fuel price hike: Cabinet's "special consideration" is not good enough
27 May 2022
Note to Editors: Please find attached English and Afrikaans soundbites by Kevin Mileham MP.
The claim by the Minister in the Presidency, Mondli Gungubele, that the issue of the impending fuel price increase was receiving 'special consideration' by Cabinet is not only an excuse to buy time but an attempt to hide government’s failure to free South Africans from high fuel taxes.
During a post-Cabinet briefing held yesterday on the possibility of extending the temporary reduction in the fuel tax levy introduced in March by the Minister of Finance, Enoch Godongwana, Gungubele gave the false assurance that “…whether the government will intervene again and ensure that fuel prices remain reasonable as it’s a matter that affects the entire country is receiving special consideration…”.
This is obviously not good enough as it does nothing to provide relief to consumers who will be saddled with a R4 increase in the price of fuel next week, and the resultant domino effect that this increase will have on the already high prices of food and transport costs. What South Africans need is a stop to the impending fuel price increase to protect jobs and shield millions more people from falling into poverty.