Hundreds flock to buy petrol and food in Morningside
A service station on Innes Road was inundated with customers as motorists queued around the block onto Venice Road.
HUNDREDS of motorists flocked to petrol stations in Morningside on Tuesday, July 13, as protest action continued in the province.
A service station on Innes Road was inundated with customers as motorists queued around the block onto Venice Road to buy petrol.
In the opposite direction, a queue of shoppers waiting to buy food, snaked down Lilian Ngoyi Road.
Station owner, Ebrahim Mather said: “I wasn’t planning on opening this morning. A security company requested that I open. They need fuel as they are on the road all the time. So I said I’d open for about half an hour. Suddenly all these people flocked to the service station. I had no staff, I had to call people to come and help.”
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While the station had plenty of fuel, the food items in the shop flew off the shelves.
“Customers are buying basic items like butter, cooldrink, water and cigarettes. Our stocks are very low now. Most people came for bread and milk and other basic things like flour or bake beans. It’s an unusual rush, we were not expecting it, but we are here to help the community wherever we can,” said Mather.
Among the queue for fuel was Smanga Xaba who ran out of petrol while waiting in the queue.
“We drove around to a few stations. Some are closed. There’s very few operating. Everyone is rushing to those that are open. It makes it difficult to join the queue because it’s long,” he said.
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Xaba, who is a social worker, said the country faces bigger issues than fuel shortages.
“If you go to Avondale Spar, there are thousands of people since this morning, waiting to buy food. I was fortunate because I am part of the community security crew that was guarding that store and we got to do our shopping early. Having said that, there are bigger issues than fuel and food shortages and panic buying. The issues have been there – unemployment and hunger. And yet you see those few getting richer and richer all the time,” he said.
“We need a renewed approach and strategy that will unite government and the cooperate sector behind one common vision of uplifting the poor out of their dire situation. Institutions of higher learning need to contribute in addressing the issue of skills,” he added.
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