April fuel prices: Petrol climbing by R3,06/litre, diesel to jump by over R7/litre
The fuel levy will be temporarily cut by R3 a litre for one month.
Motorists have been bracing for a steep fuel price hike for April as the Middle East war drags on.
The price of petrol will increase by R3,06 per litre from midnight.
Diesel costs will also increase by R7,37 or R7,51 a litre, depending on the grade.
The Department of Mineral and Petroleum Resources says illuminating paraffin will shoot up by R11,67 per litre.
Temporary fuel levy cut aims to ease pressure on consumers
The fuel levy will be temporarily cut by R3 per litre for one month.
In a statement, Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana and Mineral and Petroleum Resources Minister Gwede Mantashe said that after consultations between their departments and the National Treasury, it was decided that the fuel levy will be reduced to R1,10 per litre for petrol and 93 cents per litre for diesel until 5 May.
Panic buying sparks long queues at petrol stations
Meanwhile, there have been queues at petrol stations, as motorists try to fill up their tanks before the price shock.
In Umhlanga, one motorist said that in her 81 years, she has never seen this level of panic, urging world leaders to act.
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"Sort it out. It is just chaotic at the moment, and it is affecting everybody," the woman said.
Motorist Amir Khan, who drives a diesel vehicle, says he has not struggled to fill up and believes the pressure is largely being driven by panic buying.
"I think it's a long-term impact. How long will this carry on for? Things are tight in the economy. If you're going to pay these kinds of prices for petrol for the next couple of months, can you imagine what's going to happen to food prices? Everything's going to go up. So, I think that's the big fear, that this is going to be a long play."
Warren Naicker says he is rushing to fill up before the new prices kick in.
"With the food price increase, it’s going to be really bad because our salaries are still the same, but the food prices are getting higher. So, the cost of living is getting higher and the food price is killing us."
ALSO READ: Massive US-Israeli strikes hit Iran after Trump threat
Meanwhile, garage manager Joe Ngomane says while there is still stock for now, there’s no certainty about what lies ahead if the conflict continues.
" If this does continue, we are going to have a big problem in South Africa."
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