Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, minister in the presidency, gives feedback. (Photo: GCIS/X)
“What does a liter of petrol cost now?”
This is what Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, minister in the presidency, asked at a media conference on Thursday at a stage after the price of petrol rose this week by R3.06 per liter and the price of diesel by R7.51 per litre.
“I didn’t pour in. I poured in three weeks ago,” Ntshavheni said after this week’s record fuel price increase.
Ntshavheni gave feedback after this week’s cabinet meeting.
She once again assured South Africans that the country still has sufficient fuel at this stage.
“The cabinet is kept informed of the security of domestic fuel supply which is affected by the ongoing war and it is certain that South Africa’s fuel system will have sufficient supplies in the immediate period.
“The cabinet was informed that South Africa only relies on the Middle Eastern supply for refined products.
“We want to assure South Africans that fuel supplies in the country remain stable and that the current dry gas stations are the result of logistical constraints due to panic buying and hoarding of fuel.
“South Africans are discouraged from making panic purchases and hoarding fuel.”
Ntshavheni later explained that the country’s fuel supply will ultimately depend on the actions of South Africans.
Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, minister in the presidency, gives feedback. (Photo: GCIS/X)
“We must remind South Africans that this is not the first fuel increase,” Ntshavheni appeased. “Fuel increases happen throughout the year. Fuel increases don’t happen because of the war. The price of fuel goes up because of this and that.
“We’ve had fuel cuts at times. In fact, most of last year we had significant drops in the price of gasoline. In 2024, there were serious and regular increases in fuel prices and there was no war.
“We have to remember that. Don’t panic and say this is the problem.
“It is the panic buying – where people buy fuel with containers and keep fuel – that causes gas stations to be empty.
“South Africa’s crude oil supply does not come from the Middle East. Our crude oil comes from Angola and Nigeria. Only refined products come from the Middle East.
“You must also remember that as a country we have refinery capacity ourselves. After it was closed, we did not act quickly to restore that capacity. Part of the consideration now is that we rebuild our refinery capacity over the medium to long term,” Ntshavheni said.
She believes it is not safe for a continent to be dependent on others.
Archive photo for illustration purposes only. (Photo: afriforum.co.za)
“And therefore it is our responsibility as the leading economy on the continent to develop reliable refinery capacity. Not only for ourselves, but also to supply the region and the continent.”
According to Ntshavheni, the government is currently considering what impact this week’s fuel increase will have on the cost of living and food security. “The president has established a ministerial task force consisting of ministers of minerals and petroleum resources (chairman), finance, transport, trade, industry and competition, international relations and cooperation, agriculture, electricity and energy, forestry, fisheries and the environment, and the presidency to coordinate the government’s response in a holistic manner to reduce the impact on the cost of living, fuel and food security.”
According to Ntshavheni, the team is currently considering a series of measures that will ultimately determine the government’s interventions. The intervention will be structured over the short, medium and long term.
“Because as we understand … even if the war stops today, it will take time to rebuild the destroyed refineries in Iran.”
Ntshavheni explained that the reduction of the fuel levy had to happen immediately because the fuel price increases came into effect on Wednesday.
“The government makes sure that the right decisions are taken to protect the interests of South Africa, but also to mitigate the consequences for the Southern African Development Community (SADC).”