Durban - PAPPI (People Against Petroleum Price Increases), a KwaZulu-Natal based lobby group, said yesterday that “protest” was the only language the government understood and therefore it was in support of a national shutdown to demonstrate South Africans’ unhappiness with the huge fuel price hikes.
The organisation called on all South Africans to join the protest action and a “switch off” tomorrow. It is unclear whether the protest has widespread support as the South African National Taxi Council earlier this week sought to distance itself from the shutdown.
Pappi said the recent increases announced by the government that saw fuel prices reach almost R25 a litre had prompted renewed calls for protest action to force the government to intervene.
The group’s founder, Visvin Reddy, said they had made many fruitless attempts to communicate with the government through petitions for it to adopt strategies to decrease fuel prices.
“The only way the government will take us seriously is through protesting. I call on all South Africans to do whatever possible to join in the protest,” said Reddy, who is also a municipal councillor in eThekwini.
However, he said the group did not condone any violence and any form of lawlessness, and citizens should protest without looting or destroying property. Talks of a national shutdown have raised fears that KZN could see a repeat of the devastating July unrest in which lives were lost and businesses and infrastructure were destroyed.
“It’s clear that this government prioritises profits of corporates above the needs of the people. History has shown the government responds only when people stand up and make their voices of dissent heard,” he said.
Reddy said between 8 and 9am tomorrow, motorists across the country should switch off their engines wherever they are.
Pappi has called on government to:
● Remove all taxes and levies, which will reduce fuel prices by 35%.
● Deregulate the price of petrol and place a cap on Sasol fuels.
● Enter into an arrangement with Russia to buy Urals crude oil at a negotiated price using South African currency. India is already taking advantage of the Russia/Ukraine tensions to benefit the people of that country.
DA provincial leader, Francois Rodgers said while the party wanted to highlight the issue of the fuel price increases, it would seek to do so through petitions, pickets and debate. A debate on the fuel prices is set to take place in the National Assembly.
He said the DA did not support any proposed national shutdown.
“The economy is already fragile, and to shut down the economy and bring further instability will not in any way help to build our economy and create jobs,” said Rodgers.
Asked about the city’s state of readiness should a shutdown take place, eThekwini Municipality spokesperson Msawakhe Mayisela said the city was prepared for any eventuality. Local councillors in Durban have sent precautionary messages to residents to put measures in place in case of a shutdown.