UPDATE: TMPD awaits SAPS confirmation on petrol hike strike
Plans for mass action was triggered by the predicted fuel price hike for August.
The Tshwane metro police said it could not yet confirm whether a protest against another fuel hike would proceed on Friday.
However, the convenor of the People Against Petrol Price Increase (PAPPI), Visvin Reddy, said the organisation was mobilising people to take a stand against the rising price of fuel.
The organisation has planned to blockade major highways in the country on Friday.
Plans for mass action was triggered by the predicted fuel price hike for August.
ALSO READ: Predicted petrol price hike spark protest
The Automobile Association’s (AA) said the price of petrol was likely to go up by 19 cents next month.
Tshwane metro police spokesperson, Senior Superintendent Isaac Mahamba said they were awaiting a response from the SAPS on the matter.
“We are waiting for the SAPS to confirm whether the march will go ahead as planned on Friday.”
Gauteng police spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Kay Makhubela referred Rekord’s inquiry to the national police spokesperson Vish Naidoo, who could not be reached for comment.
Reddy said South Africans must not allow the government to continue increasing the price of petrol.
“We might end up paying R20 a litre by December if we allow the price of fuel to rise at this rate.”
He said they had already organised teams in Gauteng to lead the mass action, but added that the organisation had not yet finalised which routes would be blockaded in Pretoria.
He had previously warned those people who would like to participate to note that the strike was illegal.
“It is going to be an unprotected strike and, for sure, we will be speaking to people in the next two weeks. We are all responsible people who do not want to endanger people’s lives.”
Police arrested several people in KwaZulu-Natal last week in a protest led by PAPPI against the high cost of fuel.
The N3 was blockaded with motorists calling for the government to lower fuel prices.
ALSO READ: 6 Things you need to know about the rising petrol prices
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