A group of about one hundred people are marching in the Durban CBD on Monday over recent fuel price hikes.
The march, led by People Against Petrol and Paraffin Price Increases (Papppi), started at the King Dinuzulu Park and is headed to the Durban City Hall where participants are expected to hand over their memorandum of grievances to Mayor Zandile Gumede. Gumede would accept the memorandum on behalf of the energy department.
Speaking to News24 from the park ahead of the march, Papppi's Visvin Reddy said the organisation wanted President Cyril Ramaphosa "to issue a moratorium on all future interests in petrol prices".
Reddy said the fuel increases did not only affect motorists but all South Africans, especially the poor.
"Last month our fuel prices reached an all-time high. Never in the history of the country have we been paying so much for fuel. Look at the impact of fuel price hikes, last week bread prices increased by 50c a loaf, our public transport has also gone up," Reddy said.
He said even unemployed people could no longer afford taxi fare to travel to look for jobs.
Food prices are also unaffordable now, Reddy said.
Neighbouring countries paying less
"We have solutions. Government must nationalise Sasol. It needs to come back to the ownership of the government. Why should we pay an arm and a leg to bring crude oil from overseas when we have coal that we can make fuel from in our country?" said Reddy.
He said it was unfair that neighbouring countries paid less for fuel they imported from South Africa.
"The crude oil prices have come down considerably internationally, but we are still paying too much for petrol. This is not fair, it must end today," he said.
Reddy challenged political parties to make sure that fuel prices go down.
"They should make it part of their manifesto. If they don't do that they are heading for trouble as all South Africans are gatvol about these fuel price increases. Enough is enough," he said.
Reddy reiterated that the recent fuel price increases needed to be challenged, even in Parliament.
"It should also be taken up on the street and in every avenue that is available to make sure that we bring the fuel prices down," said Reddy.
SOURCE: NEWS24
