DA EMLM joins fuel hike picket
Marble Hall
The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Ephraim Mogale Local Municipality (EMLM), has on Tuesday, staged a picketing in Marble Hall Town to campaign against the rising prices of fuel, that was set for Tuesday midnight.
The charge to slash fuel prices was made by DA Leader John Steenhuisen last week, calling for fellow party members to picket and raise a concern against the skyrocketing prices of petrol, diesel and paraffin.
However, the price of petrol 95 unleaded was increased by R2.33 per litre, 93 petrol has gone up by R2.43 per litre and diesel by R1.10 per litre.
Flip Jacobs, DA Councillor in Ephraim Mogale Local Municipality Ward 7, said South Africans are reeling from catastrophic hikes every month which includes day to day necessities such as food and transport.
“It is very sad to see this happening and it is not like government cannot do anything about it but they choose to ignore it. They don’t want to make plans to get tax money from other sources and this is the easiest way to tax everybody and resulting to everyone suffering for their incompetence,” he said.
Jacobs added that the current government is taking peoples’ livelihood for a ride to escalate taxes to benefit top government officials.
“This action hit hard on people who live below the poverty line. You can imagine single parents who are using public transport, are now urged to pay more for their trips. Motorists are also suffering, if you drive for two days it will cost you more. This is wrong, the government should go review the prices because now they are taxing the people to death,” he said.
Jacobs said other stakeholders including taxi operators have joined the call and they will be continuing the picketing in other parts of Marble Hall Town including the taxi rank.
DA PR Councillor in the municipality, Norah Letsela, said they are tired of the government that is not taking care of its citizens.
“When fuel increases coupled with the rising of food price, transport and school fees costs, while our economy is also on its knees. Average person in South Africa will find it difficult to make end meets,” she said.
According to Steenhuisen, fuel price increase will drive food prices up still further and deal a devastating blow to millions of poor households already struggling to put food on the table.
“If we do not stop this fuel price increase, million more people will fall into poverty, children will be stunted, people will starve, businesses will go bankrupt, jobs will be lost and mass riots could be sparked, such as in Sri Lanka last month in response to fuel price hikes there,” he said.
He said the timing of this massive petrol price hike could not be worse, with South Africans battling under the weight of 46% unemployment, rolling blackouts, irrational Covid-19 regulations, flooding, drought and collapsing service delivery.
“Add to that the impending impact of global inflation, supply chain disruptions, and export blocks brought on by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and it is clear we are racing headlong into a perfect storm. It is inconceivable that the government would hit South Africans with a massive fuel price hike at a time like this. Kicking a nation to its knees,” he said.
Steenhuisen indicated that the fuel price is one of the last remaining regulated and centrally controlled consumer prices.
“Fuel is grossly over-taxed, with 33% of the cost per litre going to government coffers. It is literally being used as a cash cow for treasury, this must end,” he said.
