The Motor Industry Staff Association (MISA) has asked the government to bring back a temporary fuel levy cut. The call comes as petrol in Gauteng goes above R30 a litre for the first time.
New fuel prices take effect on Wednesday, 7 October. 95 Unleaded petrol will cost R30.25 a litre inland and R29.38 at the coast. 93 Unleaded petrol, sold in inland areas, rises to R29.88 a litre.
“Fuel relief is not optional, it is a matter of survival,” said Martlé Keyter, MISA’s chief executive officer for operations.
“Workers cannot pay R30 a litre to get to work while the state takes more than R4 of every litre. We are asking government to do again what it has already shown it can do,” Keyter said.
Diesel prices are also at record levels. 50ppm diesel goes up by R3.24 a litre, and 500ppm diesel rises by R2.84. At wholesale level, 50ppm diesel will cost R32.80 in Gauteng before retail margins are added.
According to IOL, the increases follow a sharp rise in world oil prices. This was driven mostly by tension in the Middle East.
MISA wants the General Fuel Levy on petrol and diesel cut by at least R3 a litre. It said the cut should stay in place while world oil prices remain high.
The association also asked for help for households that use paraffin for lighting. It said these households were left out of the relief given in April. MISA also wants urgent talks at the National Economic Development and Labour Council (NEDLAC) on the levies and margins in the fuel price.
MISA pointed out that the government cut fuel levies in April after organised labour pushed for help through NEDLAC. The General Fuel Levy was cut by R3 a litre for two months. The diesel levy was cut to zero over the same period.
That relief has ended. The General Fuel Levy now stands at R4.10 a litre on petrol and R3.93 a litre on diesel.
“Government has already proven that fuel levy relief is possible, and the conditions that justified it in April are worse today,” Keyter said.
MISA said workers were already under heavy money pressure before this increase. It used figures from the Pietermaritzburg Economic Justice and Dignity Group. These show that transport and electricity take up 65.8% of a minimum wage, before any food is bought.
“Workers are being crushed between fuel, electricity, and food costs,” MISA said.
The minibus taxi industry is also feeling the pressure. The South African National Taxi Council (SANTACO) said it was too early to confirm if taxi fares would go up again. It said each taxi association would decide after talking to commuters.
SANTACO said taxi associations had raised fares only once since fuel prices started rising in March. Operators also face higher costs for repairs, paperwork and running their businesses.
IOL has reported that taxi fares on some city routes have already gone up by about R3 to R6 this year. Some long distance trips have gone up by R10 to R30.
Road freight companies are also affected. Diesel makes up an estimated 35% to 55% of their running costs, according to IOL.
Mineral and Petroleum Resources Minister Gwede Mantashe has said before that there are no plans for another quick intervention. He pointed to unstable petroleum prices. His department is reviewing how fuel prices are set, and that review is due to finish in March 2027.
Source: this article is based on reporting by IOL. Image: IOL. Written with the help of AI and published by the Tzaneen Voice News desk. See our Editorial Standards.
Kgomotso Maake covers news and politics for Tzaneen Voice. Kgomotso reports on government, Parliament, municipalities, courts, crime and service delivery across South Africa, with a close eye on how national decisions reach towns like Tzaneen and the wider Limpopo province. Stories are written in plain English and focus on the facts: who made the decision, what it means, and what happens next.