Opposition parties in Parliament have criticised government over South Africa’s vulnerability to rising global oil prices, blaming past decisions to sell strategic fuel reserves for worsening the country’s energy insecurity.
The criticism emerged during debate on the R2.86 billion budget vote for the Department of Mineral and Petroleum Resources, where Gwede Mantashe faced tough questions over the impact of escalating fuel prices on struggling households.
Political parties warned that higher fuel costs are intensifying the cost-of-living crisis, particularly for low-income families who rely on paraffin for cooking and heating.
Mantashe assured Parliament that South Africa would not experience fuel shortages despite ongoing global tensions affecting oil markets. He also revealed that government intends visiting the Strait of Hormuz to better understand how disruptions along the key oil shipping route influence global fuel prices.
Opposition parties, including the Economic Freedom Fighters and ActionSA, accused government of failing to shield citizens from economic shocks after strategic fuel stocks were sold more than a decade ago.
ActionSA MP Athol Trollip said government had failed to secure adequate fuel reserves or provide long-term energy certainty for South Africans already battling rising living costs.
Meanwhile, Wayne Thring from the African Christian Democratic Party called for a review of fuel levies, arguing that taxes adding more than R6 per litre are placing further pressure on consumers.