Fuel price protest to go ahead

The newly formed People Against Petrol and Paraffin Price Increases (Pappi) is going ahead with its proposed nationwide protest against the rising price of fuel.

Visvin Reddy said on Friday the rate at which petrol prices were increasing was having a profound impact on taxpayers.

“At the rate things are going n ow ‚ we might end up paying R20 per litre by the end of this year ‚” Reddy said.

Although the group is Durban-based‚ Reddy said it had activists in all provinces.

“We have been contacted by thousands of South Africans asking us to do something.”

The protest action is planned for July 27.

It follows the appearance of 10 motorists in the Pietermaritzburg Magistrate’s Court for their alleged role in a “Fuel Prices Must Fall” blockade on the N3 outside the capital city on Wednesday.

Reddy said the organisation was engaging with unions‚ taxi associations and various other institutions to rally behind the campaign and stop all their activities on July 27.

“We call upon all South Africans to join us in our campaign‚” he said.

He described the increasing fuel hikes as an easy way to tax people‚ “because people can’t do without petrol”.

The Automobile Association of South Africa (AA) agreed that the recent fuel price hikes were having an impact on the lives of all‚ “especially the poorest of the poor who rely on paraffin for heating and cooking”.

Petrol prices have increased four times during the course of 2018, with the depreciation of the rand taking most blame.

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