Consumers feeling the pinch of fuel price hike
The Department of Minerals and Renewable Energy announced that the price of petrol 95 unleaded will rise by R2.33 a litre from midnight on the 1st June
Rekord spoke to some Pretoria east residents to find out how they are coping with the recent fuel price increase.
South Africans are facing yet another fuel price hike in June: motorists now have to pay R2.43 more per litre of 93 octane unleaded petrol (R23.94), R2.33 more for 95 octane unleaded petrol (R24.17) and for diesel they have to cough up between R1.07 and R1.10 more (R23.09 for 500PPM; R23.22 for 50PPM).
The price of illuminating paraffin increased by R1.56 to R18.20 per litre.
Government announced that it will extend fuel relief in the form of a reduced general fuel levy (GFL) in June and July.
Unfortunately, according to most people Rekord spoke to this will not go far enough to stop wallets shrinking.
– Maki Ledbitter (42) Self-employed: “I own a very heavy car. So, I stopped driving it. I Uber everywhere. I hate the fact that we have been put in this situation. In fact it is disgusting that I have to pay so much to get from point A to point B.”
– Jo-Anne Prana Fae (31), Confidence, life and business coach: “I feel like petrol prices are directly linked to the historical, colonial, projects of war and the exploitation of people. Nothing is changing. If anything, our current government is profiting of old [these] archaic exploitive systems.”
– Duke Moema (44), Self-employed: “The petrol price increase is very bad. It’s killing us. Sometimes I can’t come to work because a full tank doesn’t even last me a week. I fill up on a Monday and by Friday I have to refill.
– De Wet Burger (26), Financial Advisor: “The petrol price increase has quite a huge impact, because I have to drive around and see a lot of clients. For me personally, it is quite an adjustment and it changes a lot of things just in terms of getting by month to month. I think it’s good that government is trying to do something about it and ease the pressure on us as consumers but if you look at it in general, there’s a lot more that can be done.”
– Francois Smuts (34), Operations Manager: “It is what it is. If you want to be smart about it, you can see what the world is going through and we have to pay for it. But, at the end of the day it’s not good… it’s not good for the economy or the people. The average guy can probably live with it and go out a night or two less but, the people who are really struggling what are they going to do?”
– Sasha Stroebel (39), Stay-at-home mum: “I believe government should do more to help the working men and women and lower the fuel levy. I don’t think we can do much about the oil increase but, government can surely help us lower the levy. So much of our petrol price is going to the levy and not helping every working woman and man.”
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