Johannesburg - As South Africans braced themselves for a petrol price increase of 28 cents per litre, Johannesburg motorists queued to fill up their cars on Tuesday evening.
“Basically I think it will affect the masses because every time we have such increases in petrol, we don’t have corresponding increases in our salaries,” attorney Felix Majoni said while filling up his car at a Rivonia petrol station.
A taxi driver predicted the fuel price would rise to R15 per litre by September.
Another motorist, Kenneth Bulaven, said it was something South Africans had to live with.
“I suppose it’s everywhere in the world, right? Where I come from in Belgium, it's already towards R20 right now, so it’s almost double.”
The African People's Convention called the rise “robbery without violence”.
“Many South Africans are already struggling with high electricity and food prices and the ever increasing petrol price,” spokesperson Patrick Sindane said in a statement.
He said South Africans were already paying too much tax and if the e-tolls were implemented, they would also have to foot that bill.
“We need a government that will create jobs, build more schools and universities, ensure that poverty is eradicated and not the one that always invents new ways of sucking our blood.” - Sapa