By
Mujidu Victor
The South African national shutdown has been
inflicted by the incomprehensible impend of fuel prices.
However, the two South Africa’s biggest taxi
associations, SANTACO and NTA refute to be part of the national shutdown which
is believed to be planned for Friday.
The statement on the allegedly planned
strike in response to the skyrocketing fuel prices has been shared on social
media and specifically on Twitter. Under the #NationalShutdown.
According to local media, the national joint
operational and intelligence personnel announced that the internal law
enforcement officers had been deployed and well prepared to counter the threats
of the “national shutdown.”
Taxi unions are unhappy following the escalation
of fuel prices that have increased recently.
As of now, the petrol price has increased by
R2.43 per litre, an amount equivalent to Ksh18.69. While diesel increased by a
rand per litre, a price that fluctuated by last week.
Both the South African National Taxi
Council (Santaco) and National Taxi Alliance (NTA) have stated that all
associations under their umbrella would not participate in the shutdown.
“So this then means that even
associations that don’t toe the line, should they do that they will be
completely out of line and they’ll be reprimanded,” said the alliance’s
Theo Malele.
However, the CEO of Fidelity Services
Group, Wahl Bartmann, said that teams were on standby with contingency plans to
manage any unrest that may happen.
Mr Bartmann said that its service group
would place their choppers on standby ready to render full aid.
Meanwhile, Cape Town city has called
upon the national government to urgently address the fuel price escalation
matter.
The City Safety and Security boss, JP
Smith, said that the metro’s law enforcement officials are on high
alert.”We call on the national government to address the concerns of
exorbitantly inflated fuel prices that have a direct impact on the communities’
livelihood and their ability to feed their families. We all need to do the work
we’ve promised to do to serve the public and ensure a better life for
everyone,” Mr Smith said.
