COSATU commends Minister Jeff Radebe for his timely intervention on behalf of consumers against the ever escalating price of fuel

4 September 2018

The Congress of South African Trade Unions commends Minister Jeff Radebe’s intervention by setting the fuel prices for the first time since the early 2000s. This follows the decision by Minister Radebe to direct the Dept Energy to increase the price of petrol only by 4.9 cents this month to cater for the wage increases of fuel pump attendants and cashiers at petrol stations. Ordinarily the Petrol increase would have been 26cents for the month of September. The 4.9 cents is ring fenced for the workers and cannot be used for anything else by the Petrol Station owners.

This is a welcome intervention on behalf of consumers against the ever escalating price of fuel. We are also happy that according to the Minister and the department, they have resorted to using an intervention that has no impact on the Fiscus to relieve South Africans.

This once off intervention will hopefully allow government some time to consider other options that are more long-term.

This is a welcome relief for workers and consumers in general and we now hope that government will engage extensively while exploring some long-term solutions to the challenge of high fuel prices. Poor households have been hit hard by these fuel hikes and have been struggling to survive under these difficult conditions. Low- and moderate-income families are already in deep debt and these higher fuel prices have drained away their purchasing power.

Issued by Sizwe Pamla, National Spokesperson, COSATU, 4 September 2018