Cape Town - Parliament has agreed to hold an urgent debate on the rising fuel prices after the minister of Finance and minister of Mineral Resources and Energy were forced to intervene again.
Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula asked the technical committee of the National Assembly programming committee to report back to her next Thursday on when the debate will be held.
Political parties said on Thursday the massive fuel prices were not only affecting motorists, but the prices had an impact on food prices.
The consumers are going to bear the brunt of the massive increases and this needed to be addressed.
DA deputy chief whip Siviwe Gwarube raised the matter at the programming committee with the Speaker.
The IFP had already earlier in the year tabled a similar motion and it was debated.
But political parties said they wanted a long-term solution and the involvement of Minister of Finance Enoch Godongwana and Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy Gwede Mantashe would be important.
South Africans were buckling under pressure from the rising prices as it cut across the food value chain as well.
Mapisa-Nqakula said the technical committee must report back on the day for the debate.
“The minister of Finance two days ago requested he be allowed to address Parliament on this very matter, I did consult with the chief whip of the majority party. I did grant the minister permission to make a statement in the House. But later on I saw that the minister made a submission and not a statement he had requested. I am appealing to the technical committee to report next week Thursday when the snap debate will be held,” said Mapisa-Nqakula.
She said South Africans were feeling the effects of the high petrol prices and this matter had to be debated by Parliament.
Political Bureau