Dear Editor
Despite a convergence of ideas from the Democratic Alliance (DA), civil society and more recently the South Africa Reserve Bank (SARB), on the need to review the fuel price methodology to make fuel more affordable to consumers, the ANC government has stubbornly refused to take urgent policy steps towards fuel price rationalization in South Africa.
The impending fuel price increase on Wednesday is a direct consequence of a fuel price framework that no longer serves the interests of consumers but has become an instrument to extract high taxes to fund the ANC’s profligate state. Instead of cushioning consumers against the impact of increasingly unaffordable fuel prices, the ANC government has chosen to bury its head in the sand and let consumers face the consequences.
The DA has repeatedly called for a review of South Africa’s fuel price methodology to bring it in line with international best practice. In consultation with industry stakeholders, we are of the view that taxes, levies, transport and storage costs can be standardized across the board to enable cost savings and fuel price rationalization. It’s a position that recently received concurrence from an SARB economic note where the Reserve Bank admitted that there is a scope for fuel price determination reform.
That no action is being taken by the Department of Energy to start the reform process, reveals a dogged determination by Minister Gwede Mantashe to retain state control over the fuel value chain. While there is clear evidence that high fuel prices are hurting the economy, pushing consumers to the brink and exacerbating a high cost of living environment, the ANC has adopted an indifferent and cavalier attitude which simply confirms that they do not care about the welfare of consumers.
In June 2022, the DA submitted a petition with more than 130 000 signatures to the Ministers of Finance and Mineral Resources and Energy asking them to slash fuel prices through a targeted focus on the general fuel levy, fuel tax reform and deregulation of the sector. Since then, we have received no response and it has been business as usual for the clueless ANC government.
While South Africans are struggling to make ends meet with skyrocketing fuel, food, and transport prices, the ANC government has yet to table any viable solutions. The South African public simply cannot afford further fuel hikes, the resultant price increases on other essential necessities.
Regards
Kevin Mileham MP
DA Shadow Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy
Toy Dogwatch
There was a postman who is always happy. in the other side there is harry who would just stares at the happy postman everyday and asks himself \”What\’s the secret of this man\”.
One day Harry decided to stop the postman and ask him why he\’s always smiling and happy, what he did.
the postman answered:\”Whenever I\’m handing a mail to a women I kisses her and I get more than just a kiss sometimes.\”
Harry liked the idea and went to a poste office and proposed for the job then he got it . In his first delivery Harry was so excited try the kissing thing out, and as he thought, there was a hot women in front of the first door, he went directly towared her and pasted her a kiss staight in the lips, in the middle of that her husband suddenly appeared in front him and asked:\”WTF ARE YOU DOING.\”
\”I\’m just delivering a \’kiss\’ was sent from China\” Harry answered in a sporadic tone.
\”Very nice, you came on time, I want to send a \’Fuck\’ with you to South Africa\” the husband responded while draging Harry into the house.
Dallas Burn
Diary of an Englishman after he moves to South Africa….
**August 1**: Just got transferred with work from London, UK to our new home in Phalaborwa, Limpopo, South Africa. Now this is a town that knows how to live! Beautiful, sunny days and warm, balmy evenings. I watched the sunset from a deckchair by our pool yesterday. It was beautiful. I’ve finally found my new home. I love it here.
**September 1:** Really heating up now. It got to 31 today. No problem though. Living in air-conditioned home, driving air-conditioned car. What a pleasure to see the sun every day like this. I’m turning into a sun-worshipper – no blasted rain like back in London! Had the back yard landscaped with tropical plants today. Lots of palms and rocks. No more mowing lawns for me! Another scorcher today, but I love it here. It’s Paradise !
**October 1:** The temperature hasn’t been below 35 all week. How do people get used to this kind of heat? At least today it’s windy though. Keeps the flies off a bit. Acclimatizing is taking longer than we expected. Fell asleep by the pool yesterday. Got third degree burns over 60% of my body. Missed three days off work. What a dumb thing to do. Got to respect the old sun in a climate like this!
**October 25:** This wind is a bastard. It feels like a giant fucking blow dryer. And it’s hot as hell! The home air conditioner is on the blink and the repair man charged R200 just to drive over and tell me he needs to order parts from @#$# Johannesburg. The wife & the kids are complaining.
**October 30:** The temperature’s up around 40 and the parts still haven’t arrived for the fucking air conditioner. House is an oven so we’ve all been sleeping outside by the pool for 3 nights now. Bleeding R4 million house and we can’t even go inside. Why the hell did I ever come here?
**November 4:** Finally got the fucking air-conditioner fixed. It cost R1,500 and gets the temperature down to around 35 degrees. Stupid repairman. Fucking thief. If one more smart bastard says ‘Hot enough for you today?’ I’m going to fucking throttle him. Fucking heat! By the time I get to work, the car radiator is boiling over, my fucking clothes are soaking fucking wet and I smell like baked cat. Fucking place is the end of the Earth.
**November 9:** Tried to run some errands after work, wore shorts, and sat on the black leather upholstery in my car. I thought my fucking backside was on fire. I lost 2 layers of flesh, all the hair on the backs of my legs and off my fucking behind. Now the car smells like burnt hair, fried bum and baked cat. The Weather report might as well be a fucking recording – hot and sunny. Hot and sunny, Hot and fucking sunny. It’s been too hot to do anything for 2 bleeding months and the weatherman says it might really warm up next week. Fuck!!
**November 15:** Doesn’t it ever rain in this darn place? Water restrictions will be next, so my R5,000 worth of palms might just dry up and blow into the fucking pool. The only things that thrive in this hell-hole are the fucking flies. You don’t dare open your mouth for fear of swallowing half a dozen of the little buzzards!
**November 20:** Welcome to HELL! It got to 45 degrees today. Now the air conditioner is gone in my car. The repair man came to fix it and said, ‘Hot enough for you today?’ I wanted to shove the car up his backside. Anyway, had to spend the R2,500 of the mortgage payment to bail me out of jail for assaulting the stupid fool. Fucking PHALABORWA! What kind of sick, demented idiot would want to live here!
**December 1:** WHAT!!!! The FIRST day of Summer!!!!
You are fucking kidding me, right?