Durban - People Against Petrol and Paraffin Price Increases (Papppi) have condemned the latest fuel hike set to come into effect next month.
Visvin Reddy, national convener of Papppi, said this will be the seventh petrol price increase this year which directly affects South Africans - with the price of food and transport increasing as a result.
Reddy said the increase is in line with what the movement had predicted three months ago. He said Papppi had warned that the petrol price would reach the R16 mark and by December, motorists could expect to pay as much as R20 for a litre of petrol.
“This is all a slap in the face for motorists, more especially the poorest of the poor,” he said.
Reddy said yet another petrol hike did nothing to further government’s promise to decrease poverty.
“Stats SA said there were 55% of people in the country who were living below the poverty line. The petrol price increase has a domino effect, causing an increase in the price of food and travel,” he said.
Reddy said when they had met previously with a delegation from the president’s office about their grievances, however the expected hike means their plight was ignored.
He said the current government lacked the capacity and will to look into effective solutions to better the country without relying on constantly increasing fuel prices.
Reddy said on September 28, they will yet again be staging a protest.
According to the Automobile Association, petrol is expected to increase between 23 and 25 cents a litre while diesel could rise by around 28 cents.
This will, for the first time, push the cost of 93 unleaded octane fuel inland above the R16 a litre mark, a significant barrier.