Letter - The incessant increases in the price of fuel is always blamed on the weakening rand and an increase in crude oil prices.
In spite of falling crude oil prices over the past six years, from $130 a barrel to more recently $60, the price is spiralling with dire consequences for the economy.
At $130 about six years ago, the overtaxed consumer, fed up with never-ending corruption, was paying in the region of R12 a litre.
Fast forward to the future: in 2017 consumers are paying over R14 a litre with the price of crude oil at $60 a barrel.
The above scenario should indicate a reduction in the fuel price and not an increase.
There seems to be something inherently dysfunctional with the pricing of the fuel in South Africa.
The same fuel that is purchased from South Africa by Lesotho and Swaziland is cheaper in these countries.
The price of fuel includes government levies and taxes amounting to 55% - thereby lending itself to the astronomical prices paid by motorists.
The multiplier effect of this is that the poorest in our country suffer the most due to increases in commodity prices like daily essentials such as bread, maize meal, samp, rice, etc, which are the staple food of millions of people.
The most vulnerable in our land are always at the receiving end when price increases are not comprehensively evaluated.
I think enough is enough. The consumer is being strategically ripped off with no end in sight.
The price of petrol has increased by a whopping 71 cents with further increases looming.
A case of economic consumer exploitation needs to be investigated.
An effective campaign needs to be initiated to involve community participation in respect of an equitable pricing structure for fuel.
A protest similar to the #FeesMustFall protest highlighting the exorbitant cost of tertiary education needs to be canvassed to bring to the attention of government that as citizens of this country, we can no longer afford these incessant and astronomical increases in the price of fuel and the people have come to the end of their tether.
The fundamental question is: where is all this revenue generated from our taxes being utilised?
How much is being pumped back into repairing the potholes on our roads?
In spite of paying the fuel levies and taxes, road users are still subjected to ever increasing prices of the tolled roads, which seems to be popping up at an increasing rate.
Could this money milked from the overtaxed motorists be used to pay off the debtors of the almost 20 billion e-tolls, which are generating little income and are not sustainable?
Could it be used to bail out SAA or maybe Eskom or maybe the other state-owned entities that are being looted with impunity?
Maybe if consumers rise up against exorbitant fuel price increases, there will be a reprieve and, who know, depending on the intensity of this mass action, the next president at the end of his term may want to leave a legacy and just announce free fuel for all consumers for a period of two years.
How this is going to be financed is anybody’s guess.
But the rule is announce “FREE PETROL” - and hope for the best.
At this time I’m reminded of the words of singer Louis Armstrong when he sang: “And I say to myself what a wonderful world.”
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