AA warns of ‘catastrophic’ fuel hike

Brace yourself for another big fuel price hike.

The Automobile Association (AA) warned on Thursday that motorists would face unprecedented price increases in October‚ based on unaudited month-end fuel price data released by the Central Energy Fund (CEF).

“These increases are catastrophic for road users‚” the AA said.

“They are the biggest in South African history. The major culprit is SA’s chaotic economic policy‚ which has left us defenceless against upticks in international oil prices.”

With the rand and oil contributing almost equally to the rises‚ petrol is expected to be up by R1.01 a litre and diesel by R1.24. Illuminating paraffin users are also likely to be hit hard by an expected hike of about R1.05.

“Excluding months where fuel taxes were hiked‚ this will be the largest single fuel price increase South Africa has ever experienced‚” the AA warned.

People Against Petrol and Paraffin Price Increases (Pappi) has warned of a total shutdown on Friday in Durban‚ in protest at the rising cost of fuel.

“Our nation is now frustrated and we are willing to take to the streets to protest against these unconscionable‚ outrageous and excessive fuel hikes‚” the group’s national convener, Visvin Reddy, said.

He said the body had not obtained permission to protest and that “the police can come and arrest us – we don’t care”.

“We want to show government that we have had enough with the fuel hikes‚” he said.

The warning came as an internal memo from Durban Solid Waste warning staff of the impending shutdown circulated on social media, he said.

However‚ metro police spokesperson Senior Superintendent Parboo Sewpersad said the message was not issued by the municipal department and was a hoax.

Pappi spokesperson Rynel Govender said: “The price of a litre of petrol has almost trebled in the past decade and government taxes have increased by 165.35% over this period. We have had seven hikes this year.” –