Petrol protests threatened on election day
The People Against Petrol and Paraffin Price Increases (Pappi) has called for a national protest action against the rising fuel costs at the polls on May 8.
The organisation is calling on citizens to stand together and send a message to the government.
"We have an opportunity on the 8th of May to use a secret weapon that we all have ans that is our vote to give a loud and clear message to this government that enough is enough. We will use a peaceful, legal and effective means of protest and that is our vote,” says Pappi's convener Visvin Reddy.
"Your most effective form of protest is to use your vote. It's happened in India, it's happening in France, it's happening in other parts of Venezuela, it's happening in other parts of the world.”
The price of petrol is set to rise at midnight on Wednesday.
The department of energy confirmed that petrol will go up by 54 cents a liter, due to local and international factors.
Reddy adds: "Tonight South Africans will pay the second highest increase in fuel ever in our recorded history and we are now becoming fed up and frustrated at the continuous increase in fuel prices, the miseducation being given by this government.
"The excuse that the government gives that its external factors that contribute to fuel increases is not entirely true. What they don't tell you is that close to 40% of what you pay for in your petrol and diesel costs goes to government in the form of taxes and levies."
The organisation believes government should regulate the price of petrol.
"Government needs to regulate the price of petrol and we believe that we can pay R8 a litre for petrol because that is what we are paying... we are charging the neighbouring countries, R8 a litre. They're buying it from South Africa and they're selling it for R10 a litre and we are paying close to R20 for the same fuel."
Reddy says the increase in protests can be curbed by ensuring better governance.
"We are sick and tired of an abnormal country. The whole country is plunged into protests currently. People are toyi-toying, burning the streets, killing, people are dying, rubbish is being thrown on the streets, people are frustrated because the government is insensitive to the needs of the people.
"If we had a responsive government and things were normal in this country there would be no need for people to go and resort to such types of violent protest that we are seeing currently."
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