With the support of the Economic Freedom Fighters, a national shutdown is being planned in protest of the outrageous fuel price hike (EFF).
The party has vigorously opposed the R2.43/litre fuel price hike that took effect on June 1st.
The EFF said in a statement that the high increase was not surprising because it believes the ANC government has a meaningful plan to tackle rising living costs in the short, medium, and long term.
“The looting of strategic fuel reserves by the corrupt ANC ministers has left the country without any measures to address the increase in the price of crude oil and unpredictable currency fluctuations.”
According to the EFF, the underlying reason for the fuel price hikes is the ANC’s mismanagement of the economy, corruption, and ineptitude.
With petrol prices at a record high of R24 plus a litre, it is feared that the ordinary South African household will be unable to withstand the increased costs.
“A majority of households in the country cannot feed their families with a well-balanced meal everyday. Some workers can’t afford to even keep their jobs as the cost of getting to and from work is much higher than the cost of food and transportation.”
Furthermore, rising fuel prices raise the cost of most basic necessities, yet earnings do not rise at a fair rate to keep people from living in poverty.
The EFF will call an emergency meeting to discuss how to respond to the recent fuel price hike.
A national shutdown is being proposed as a means of forcing the National Treasury and the Minister of Resources and Energy to take immediate action to reduce the cost of fuel.
According to social media posts, the closure is scheduled to begin on Friday, June 10th.
